Dear Friends,

You may have heard the news: at this year's Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève - better known as the GPHG, the watchmaking world's most famous and prestigious awards - two of our timepieces have been shortlisted by the GPHG Academy. First up, the LM Sequential EVO, our first-ever chronograph, running in the (you guessed it) Chronograph category. And second, not quite an MB&F piece, but the M.A.D.1 RED we created under our separate M.A.D.Editions label - in the Challenge category. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on November 10th... we're crossing our fingers!
We released the LM Sequential EVO on May 31st; it was undoubtedly our most important launch of 2022 (and our 20th calibre in just 17 years!). Created with a man I consider a true genius, our Friend from Belfast Stephen McDonnell, we believe it is a strong contender in the Chronograph category because it breaks new ground for this age-old complication - both technically and from a functional point of view. In other words, both inside and out. Let me explain.
Let's start with what goes on OUTSIDE - what you can see, when you strap the LM Sequential EVO on your wrist. Put simply, Stephen's amazing dual chronograph allows multiple timing modes: split-second, independent, lap timer, and even a "chess match" timing mode. That combination of chronograph functions, all squeezed into a single wristwatch, has never been seen before in any existing chronograph. Have a look at the short video below for a quick demo.
Those different timing modes are made possible thanks to a world-first, patented “Twinverter” binary switch. The Twinverter was inspired by the timing systems used for racing in the old days, when you would mount several stopwatches together, and trigger them simultaneously thanks to a lever running across all of their start/stop buttons. Just like those systems, the Twinverter switches the start/stop status of the LM Sequential EVO's dual chronographs simultaneously. If they're both stopped, pressing the Twinverter will start them both, at exactly the same time - allowing for a simultaneous start of two race cars for example. You can then stop either chronograph separately, giving you the perfect split-seconds mode.

If however one of the chronographs is already running, and the other is stopped, pressing the Twinverter will stop the first and start the second. This allows for the perfect lap timer (also called sequential mode): when you press the Twinverter at the end of that first lap, you stop the first chronograph (lap 1) and start the second lap on the second chronograph, with no lag whatsoever. You can do this indefinitely, switching from one lap to another, for as many laps as needed!

So the LM Sequential EVO is a world-first, from the outside. But it doesn't stop there: this chronograph's 585-component calibre, built around two column-wheels, is just as innovative INSIDE. Why? Stephen decided to fix an age-old problem of conventional chronographs: when you start or stop their timing mechanisms, they invariably waste energy, causing reduced amplitude in their regulating systems and a drop in accuracy and power reserve. The LM Sequential EVO always runs with the same amplitude - regardless of zero, one or both chronographs engaged - thanks to a pair of patented, internally-jewelled, vertical clutch shafts. To understand more, I suggest listening to Stephen himself during our launch press conference (click below; the interesting stuff starts at around 13'20").

To top it all off, we've placed Stephen's amazing new chronograph in our redesigned, sleeker 'EVO' case in zirconium, paired with an integrated rubber strap, lots of Super-LumiNova for legibility, a ‘FlexRing’ shock-absorbing system, a screw-down crown and 80 metres of water resistance. In short, a watch that is built to follow you around in your active, daily life.
Our second piece in this year's GPHG competes in the Challenge category: watches retailing for under 3,500 Swiss francs. The M.A.D.1 RED is not an MB&F Machine, but the accessible timepiece we created under a different brand, M.A.D.Editions. First conceived for our Friends and Tribe members, the incredible worldwide feedback we received has pushed us to make it more widely available - even though the limited number we were able to manufacture so far, was definitely not enough to satisfy the over 20,000 fans who participated in the lottery to obtain an option to purchase.

What makes the M.A.D.1 RED interesting, and worthy of the GPHG's Challenge category? We're hoping the Jury will appreciate its innovative case structure, lateral time display, inverted movement and triple-blade winding rotor - which is the star of the show (especially when the Super-LumiNova kicks in!). Have a look at the wristroll below to get a feel of what it's like to have a M.A.D.1 on your wrist.

If you missed all the noise around the M.A.D.1, you’ll find more details - including a few videos where I explain why we started M.A.D.Editions, why it was limited first to Friends and the Tribe, and why we opened a lottery - at this link: https://www.madgallery.net/geneva/en/press/mad-editions
What else has happened since our last newsletter? Among other events, we were at the Geneva Watch Days in late August, where we released a third 'EVO' piece, demonstrating that our EVO line is expanding. After the LM Perpetual EVO and LM Sequential EVO, the LM Split Escapement gets the EVO treatment!
If you’ve been paying very close attention, you may have noticed that the LM Split Escapement EVO was first quietly introduced as a limited edition for the UAE’s 50th anniversary last year. It's now available worldwide (if you can find one!), in a different execution, with an icy-cool light blue dial plate and grey subdials.
In addition to the EVO treatment, the LM Split Escapement EVO features another modification compared to the original LM Split Escapement: the entire mechanism is rotated clockwise by 30 degrees, radically changing the symmetry of the watch and giving it a totally new character. The manual-winding, 298-component calibre is driven by double barrels providing 72 hours of power reserve, and features a user-friendly, foolproof rapid date-changing system. Contact our worldwide retail partners or check out our eShop page if you're interested!

So I hope to see you at the GPHG in a couple of weeks! And if we miss each other there, we'll hopefully have a chance to meet at one of our M.A.D.Galleries in Geneva, Dubai or Taipei - or one of our brand new MB&F LABs! The first Labs have opened in Singapore and Paris and more are on the way...
Take good care of yourself,
Maximilian Büsser
Owner & Creative Director