MB&F M.A.D Edition R&B and REDemption
There are watches you admire from a distance, and then there are the ones that just make you grin the moment you strap them on. The MB&F M.A.D.2 firmly sits in the latter camp.
I know that first-hand. I was lucky enough to get hold of the green edition when it dropped last year, and it’s one of those pieces that never really leaves the rotation for long. It’s playful, a little chaotic in the best way, and completely unbothered by the usual rules. Exactly what you’d expect from anything tied to MB&F.
So seeing not one, but two new M.A.D.2 editions land this year feels less like a follow-up and more like the party continuing into the early hours.
At its core, the M.A.D.2 was always about capturing a vibe. Designed by Eric Giroud, it leans heavily into 90s club culture, vinyl, DJ decks, the whole scene. And once you’ve had one on the wrist, that influence is obvious. The dial layout, the way the time is displayed, even the movement of the rotor, it all feels like a miniature turntable doing its thing.
The first of the new drops, the M.A.D.2 R&B, might sound like a musical reference, and it is, but it’s also a literal one. Red and black, done properly. A deep, almost stealthy black dial and strap set the base, while the red hour and minute discs pop just enough to keep things lively without tipping into gimmick. It’s moodier than last year’s green, a bit more late-night than daylight.
Then there’s the M.A.D.2 REDemption, and this is where MB&F’s sense of humour and community really comes through. This one isn’t for everyone, and that’s kind of the point. It’s reserved for those who’ve entered the raffle multiple times and come up empty. Four attempts or more, no luck, and now finally, a way in.
And honestly, that’s brilliant.
The watch itself flips the script visually, with a bold red dial plate paired with black time discs, but the real charm is in the detail. Around the back, the rotor carries the line: “They say I’m stubborn, I’d say persistent”. If you’ve ever sat refreshing your inbox after a raffle draw, you’ll know exactly who that’s aimed at.
Technically, both pieces stick to the same formula that made the original so appealing. A 42mm stainless steel and sapphire case with that smooth, pebble-like profile that wears far more comfortably than it looks on paper. Time is read via those central markers, with the jumping hour module doing its slightly hypnotic thing beneath the surface, powered by a La Joux-Perret G101 with a solid 64-hour reserve.
But let’s be honest, no one is coming to a M.A.D.2 for spec sheets. It’s about the feeling. The slightly offbeat design. The way it sparks conversation. The fact that it doesn’t take itself too seriously, while still being executed properly.
And having lived with the green version for a while now, I can say this, it doesn’t get old. If anything, it gets better the more time you spend with it.
The new red and black editions just push that idea a little further. A bit darker, a bit bolder, but still unmistakably M.A.D. If last year was the warm-up, this feels like the afterparty.