last update: June 17th 2013

Watches

In conversation with horological entrepreneur Max Büsser

by Ariel Adams | June 2nd 2012 | 04:38 pm

The celebritisation of the modern independent watchmaker is often attributed to the work of Max Büsser. Founder of “horological machine” watchmaker MB&F (Max Büsser & Friends), Büsser has been working in the watch industry since he began his professional life.

At the helm of the watch division of Harry Winston, Büsser started an ambitious project that would change the face of the modern high-end wristwatch forever. His idea was the Harry Winston Opus watch collection – an annual limited edition timepiece built in collaboration with a well-known independent watchmaker. The net benefit was a win for Harry Winston, as well as for the watchmakers (who up until then were less frequently in the spotlight). Büsser had realised that in luxury watchmaking, as in art, the creator had as much right to be celebrated as the products they created.

Neither a designer nor watchmaker, Büsser is perhaps best described as a horological entrepreneur and creative director. After leaving Harry Winston he immediately went to work on starting his own business. MB&F was born using his personal savings and relied on his self-described “workaholism.” Since around 2004 MB&F has released some of the most striking and original pieces of horological art in existence. Büsser freely discusses how mechanical watches aren’t strictly necessary in today’s world, but nevertheless retain a relevance through an enormous artistic and emotional value based on their design, their tradition and their intricate and complex construction.

MB&F watches are mostly modern in appearance but influenced by the things that inspire Büsser. This includes everything from airplanes to automobiles, as well as historic watch design and complications. While still a small, independent watchmaker, MB&F has a rich following around the world, as well as the close attention of the larger watch industry. Büsser himself is widely considered to be a creative genius as well as one of the most influential people in the modern watch industry. He recently opened The M.A.D. Gallery in Geneva - MB&F's first boutique, which showcases the brand's horological machines alongside a host of extraordinary mechanical artworks and designer objects.

Visit the MB&F webpages