There are songs that change the lives of those who listen to them.
For an emotion, a memory, or a feeling of affection that is inevitably tied to a text, a rhythm, or a place.
The experience of music, as we know, can be as intimate as it is overwhelming and collective, culminating in the frenzy of a concert: a shared experience of sound capable of uniting, for a few hours, the lives, tears, smiles, and souls of thousands of people.
That’s exactly what music is all about, it’s what drives us to follow a band to the ends of the earth for an hour of carefree fun and togetherness, simply out of the desire to be together, have fun, or forget, at least for a moment—the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
But then the concert ends, the stage is taken down, and the music continues elsewhere. Everyone goes back to their headphones, listening to the same songs they’ve heard hundreds of times, or places the needle on their favorite vinyl record, fondly recalling those same notes they heard at the concert during that once-in-a-lifetime evening.
That’s the magic of touring: the same band, the same music, but every city becomes a different experience, a temporary crossroads of stories, personalities, and emotions that, for a few hours, lets you forget the daily grind and even distorts your perception of time.
And that is how music and watchmaking come together in an effort to give shape to something that cannot be stopped.
Eric Giroud: The Designer Behind the M.A.D.2
To understand the M.A.D.2, it is necessary to explain the philosophy behind MB&F’s (Maximilian Büsser & Friends) conception of M.A.D.: a parallel brand created to produce timepieces with outrageous designs (hence “Mad,” meaning crazy). Initially conceived as an experimental project separate from regular production to thank friends and members of the MB&F community, today M.A.D. Editions has taken on its own identity and autonomy, offering the same creative and high-quality approach that characterizes MB&F but at a more accessible price, thereby reaching a wider audience of enthusiasts.
The number 2, on the other hand, refers to the second generation of the series, whose design was created by Eric Giroud, one of the most recognizable designers in the contemporary watchmaking world.
He is not a watchmaker in the strict sense of the word; Eric Giroud is dedicated to transforming ideas into three-dimensional objects. His background in architecture and a deep-seated passion for music have helped shape him into an eclectic artist who interprets watchmaking in terms of volumes, sections, perspectives, the relationship between space and form, and harmony. He has been one of Maximilian Büsser’s key creative collaborators since the inception of MB&F, contributing to the development of the aesthetic language of many of the brand’s Horological Machines and Legacy Machines.
Until the age of 18, he studied music with the intention of making it his profession, before turning his attention to architecture, convinced that he wasn’t talented enough to pursue a career as a musician. After completing his college education, he opened his own architecture firm.
In a recent interview, he stated that that lifestyle bored him, so he began actively frequenting the clubs and nightlife of 1990s Lausanne, coming into contact with DJs from all over the world. He was captivated by this scene, by the carefree spirit and fun of this new musical ecosystem, so much so that it inspired him to open his own design agency, pursuing independence, the freedom to choose whom to work with, and a sense of serenity and lightheartedness.
The M.A.D.2: A Bold Design at the Intersection of Music and Watchmaking
The design of the M.A.D.2 pays homage to the clubbing culture of the 1990s, a declaration of love for the wild and electrifying spirit of club culture, and is entirely inspired by Technics SL-1200 DJ turntables and vinyl records.
Imagine pulsating basslines, vinyl grooves, and nights that blend into dawn: these are the memories that shape the inspiration behind the M.A.D.2.
Imagine the watch as a small stage where the movement is the orchestra, the discs are the musical instruments, and the hour and minute markers are the melody that builds to a climax as the hour changes. Continuing with this metaphor, the wearer of this timepiece is the attentive spectator who, every time they glance at it, witnesses a small “performance.”
The dial is primarily arranged on three concentric levels: starting from the center, two raised circular discs stand out, arranged along a horizontal axis; these allow the time to be read and are strikingly reminiscent of a DJ’s turntables. They do not feature hands; rather, they are two raised, rotating discs that allow the time to be read through their own movement. Two small metal indicators, positioned centrally on each disc, serve as the hour and minute hands; the shape of these indicators is deliberately ambiguous, resembling almonds, guitar picks, turntable needles, or even alien eyes.
Moving to the layer just outside that, you can see that the two central discs are encircled by a texture that pays homage to vinyl records, with grooves and a satin finish that mimic the vintage charm of vinyl. The outermost section, on the other hand, consists of a rotating element, a tribute to the strobe band of the Technics SL-1200 turntable, complete with locking pins. Each element of the dial is enhanced with Super-LumiNova, for better readability in the dark but also to replicate the lighting of nightclubs. Every movement of the wrist spins the outer stroboscopic disc, which is actually the automatic winding rotor, visible from both the front and the back.
But the real surprise only becomes apparent to the observer a moment later, much like a song that requires a second listen to be truly understood: the watch features the harmonious complication of bidirectional jumping hours on the left dial, while the right dial tracks the passing minutes, conveniently displaying the time right in the center of the dial.
The visual effect is undoubtedly bold and conveys that sense ofcarefree cheerfulness, serenity, and lightness that Giroud so diligently seeks: while the musical inspiration is now more than evident, the eye recognizes the features of a face on the dial, where the inner counters serve as the eyes, while the outer stroboscopic disc, when stationary, resembles a smiling mouth. This additional layer of interpretation makes the M.A.D.2 decidedly lively and playful.
The beating heart of this timepiece is the La Joux-Perret G101 movement, now enhanced by a jumping-hour module developed in-house by MB&F and manufactured and assembled in Switzerland.
The 42-mm case, crafted from 316L stainless steel, features gentle, harmonious lines reminiscent of a rounded pebble; it is smooth to the touch and polished to a high shine. The winding crown bears the brand’s logo and echoes the “alien eye” shape already seen at the center of the dial, with the design engraved on its outer surface.
The Design of the M.A.D.2 and How to Get It
But how is this unique timepiece made?
While M.A.D.Editions are traditionally awarded by random drawing, the M.A.D.2 Live Unveiled in 2026, it breaks with this tradition while also introducing a new aesthetic interpretation of the timepiece.
Building on this last point, the M.A.D.2 Live stands out with its silver dial, paired with an electric blue winding rotor and hour and minute discs, which give the timepiece an eccentric yet decidedly more understated and refined look compared to the previous green and orange versions and the more recent red and black variations.
While the latter evoke a rock, electronic, and almost industrial vibe, M.A.D.2 Live, with its cool, luminous tones , is much more in tune with the sophisticated atmosphere of cool jazz less frenetic but more elegant and airy, like a solo played in the dim light, with a wisp of white smoke from the musician’s cigarette wafting through the room, while the lights filter through, creatinga suspended, dynamic, and elegant atmosphere around the notes.
Rounding out the M.A.D.2 Live’s design is a white rubber strap that fastens to the wrist with a folding clasp.
When it comes to how to access this vibrant timepiece, the musical parallel takes center stage once again.
The watchwill travel the world throughout 2026 on what is effectively a world tour befitting the most beloved international stars, starting in San Francisco (May 1–3) and making a total of 13 stops, including Beverly Hills, Bordeaux, London, Toronto, Paris, New York, Geneva, Hong Kong, Taipei, Riyadh, Singapore, and Dubai. Additionally, from October 2–4, it will arrive in Milan for Milan Watch Week.
For each city hosting the M.A.D.2 Live tour, only a limited number of items will be available, awarded through a mini-raffle. Visitors to the M.A.D.Editions booths will be invited to scan a QR code to enterthe drawing, which will take place a few days after the trade shows.
In addition, the folding clasp on each watch will be engraved with the identification code of the city where the watch was purchased.
But the musical parallels don’t end with the timepiece itself, as even its packaging seems to have come straight out of a DJ’s control booth: a case shaped like a console, with a turntable on the left and a fader on the right. The inside of the lid echoes the graphic motif of the logo engraved on the winding crown, that ambiguous shape that could resemble either a guitar pick or an alien face.
In M.A.D.2 Live, music is therefore not merely a source of aesthetic inspiration, but rather the true common thread running through the entire project . From the dial to the packaging, every element seems to be part of the same performance, as if the watch were the star of a larger show, ready to leave the stage and set out on a journey.
The price of this watch? 2,900 CHF.
A tribute to carefree fun
The very name of this watch is a statement of intent: a tribute to wild nights of fun, a homage to live music. The concept behind the entire M.A.D.2 Live project captures the atmosphere of concerts and the life of an artist on tour—the very same daily reality experienced by the DJs Eric Giroud spent time with during the 1990s in Lausanne.
Giroud deliberately draws on that same sense of belonging, that same atmosphere of shared experience, and that sense of collective enjoyment characteristic of a concert when designing the way the timepiece is purchased: a true traveling event that, just like live music, becomes a temporary crossroads of stories, personalities, and emotions and, for a few hours, allows you to forget the daily grind.
by Federico Neroni
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