MADEditions puts a piece back in the jukebox with two new versions of the MAD2, both built around a particularly effective red and black duo: the MAD2 R&B and the MAD2 REDemption. On paper, the operation could pass for a simple chromatic refresh. In reality, it says something more interesting about the way in which MB&F brings to life this watchmaking UFO which has become, almost in spite of itself, a real sub-galaxy in its own right.
Because we have to start from there: MADEditions was not supposed to become what it has become. Originally, the idea came from the frustration of offering a sufficiently creative object, sufficiently MB&F in spirit, at a much more accessible price than that of Horological Machines or Legacy Machines. The response took the form of an “edition”, almost an organized impulse, before transforming into a full-fledged phenomenon. And as is often the case with MB&F, the project ended up escaping its starting point.
There MAD1 REDthe first MAD model actually offered to the public, marked a decisive turning point in this history, to the point of becoming a cult watch for many enthusiasts, me the first since I own it. For those who want to dive back into this founding moment, I talked about it here: MAD 1 RED, the accessible MB&F.
With MAD2, launched in 2025 under the signature of Eric Giroud, MADEditions has changed register without losing its DNA. Where the MAD1 played the card of a completely barred side display, the MAD2 assumed another obsession: the club culture of the 1990s, vinyls, turntables, Lausanne nights, sound, movement, rotation. In 2026, the news R&B And Redemption don’t change the recipe. They tighten it, densify it, and give it extra character.
Two new MAD2s, two reds, two logics
The first of the two new features is called MAD2 R&B. The name works with a double trigger: Red & Blackobviously, but also a clear nod to rhythm and blues and, more broadly, to the musical universe to which the watch pays homage. Here, the dial plate adopts a deep, almost furtive black, while the jumping hour and trailing minute discs turn red. The result promises a sharper, more nervous, more nocturnal contrast than the first Green and Orange versions.
The second, MAD2 REDemptionis undoubtedly the tastier of the two, not for its color, but for what it tells. Visually, it reverses the logic of R&B with a bright red dial plate and black discs. Symbolically, it is aimed at a very specific category of enthusiasts: the unlucky faithful. Those who have participated in at least four MADEditions draws without ever being selected will finally be able to purchase this version without going through the lottery box again. The name is a good one. There is both the idea of redemption, of revenge, and this irony typical of MB&F, which knows very well that frustration is an integral part of the MADEditions myth.
This is probably the smartest idea of this launch. Not only because it rewards perseverance, but because it explicitly recognizes a real problem: for years, access to MADEditions has been more of an initiation rite than a simple purchase. MB&F is aware of this. The brand even features it. With REDemption, it finally provides an answer that is not purely cosmetic.
A lottery that has become an integral part of the object
For the MAD2 R&Bwe remain with the now well-known system of drawing lots, supervised by a bailiff. Registrations are open for one week, and fans will have to try their luck via the dedicated page: participate in the MADEditions lottery.
This mechanism is now an integral part of the MADEditions identity. This can be seen as a more democratic way of distributing a much-desired watch without imposing absurd queues or access reserved for a few hand-picked customers. We can also see the formalization of a perfectly orchestrated scarcity. The two readings are defended. But whatever one thinks, this system has created a unique dynamic in contemporary watchmaking: that of a watch that is “accessible” in terms of relative price, but profoundly difficult to obtain in practice.
This is the whole MADEditions paradox. We are far from MB&F watches in the classic sense of the term, and also far from the high price levels that we can see elsewhere in high-flying independence. However, the object remains surrounded by a tension, a desire, an almost even more palpable rarity. And it is no coincidence that each new edition triggers this mixture of curiosity, excitement and annoyance among amateurs.
Eric Giroud, club culture and the good taste of the opposite
The real success of MAD2, from its launch, was to not be a simple MAD1 bis. Eric Giroud took the project on its head. After twenty years of creative collaboration with Maximilian Büsser at MB&F, he did not seek to ape Max’s universe. He injected his own. And that changes everything.
His terrain here is not mechanical science fiction nor the watchmaking machine as technical sculpture. Its terrain is nocturnal memory, DJ culture, the world of clubs of the 1990s, with this mixture of sensuality, rhythm and industrial design that has become emotional. The MAD2 draws on this material with delightful freedom.
The two raised auxiliary hour and minute dials evoke the decks of a mixing console. The main dial is reminiscent of vinyl with its grooves. On the periphery, the rotor visible on the dial side refers to the strobe strip of a Technics SL-1200. This is not opportunistic dressing. It’s a real transposition of universes. And in a watchmaking landscape saturated with tired references to automobiles, aviation or diving, this choice has the merit of bringing something else.
The most interesting thing is that the watch doesn’t just illustrate its theme. She sets it in motion. The peripheral rotor visible on the front and back literally brings the whole thing to life on the wrist. We are not in a fixed metaphor. We are in a watch that moves, turns, lives, and which reminds with each gesture what it wants to be.
A fun watch, yes, but not empty in terms of movement
This is always the danger with such a visually marked proposition: being reduced to its concept. MAD2 avoids it quite well. Of course, it does not claim to reinvent mechanical watchmaking as a whole. But it’s not just about a nice design placed on any movement either.
Here we find a Swiss caliber La Joux-Perret G101automatic winding, 4 Hz, 64 hours of power reserve, to which is added a bidirectional jumping hour module developed by MB&Fwith dragging minute. This is an important point. MB&F didn’t just buy an engine and then put it in a cool box. The brand has added a real layer of watchmaking interpretation, faithful to its taste for off-center, unusual, playful but technically serious displays.
The housing of 42mm in 316L stainless steel with upper and lower sapphire retains this very soft, very tactile pebble shape, which contrasts with the angular aggressiveness of so many contemporary watches. With 12.3mm thickthe MAD2 remains portable. With 30 meters of waterproofingit also reminds us that it is not a sportswoman in the utilitarian sense of the term, but an object of expression, style and emotion more than a tool watch.
The leather strap and steel folding clasp complete a package that remains surprisingly balanced. This is undoubtedly what makes MADEditions strong: their ability to remain radical without becoming ridiculous, to remain fun without falling into gimmickry.
R&B and REDemption: color as a personality accelerator
Red is obviously no coincidence in the MADEditions universe. We have already seen it play a crucial role in the history of the range, notably with the MAD1 REDwhich was a key moment in the project’s transition to the general public. Going back to red today on the MAD2 is therefore not trivial.
On the R&Bred acts as a visual pulse in a black environment. The watch should appear tenser, more mysterious, more club, almost more adult. On the Redemptionon the contrary, red takes power. He becomes frontal, joyful, demonstrative, almost insolent. It is undoubtedly the most expressive version of the two, and also the most narrative with its rotor engraved with this sentence: They say I’m stubborn, I’d say persist. Everything is said. Or almost.
What is successful is that the two models do not give the feeling of being simple lazy variations. They extend a collection logic while producing two very distinct atmospheres. R&B seems more nocturnal, more subdued, more musical in the literal sense of the term. REDemption is more direct, more ironic, almost more emotional because it talks about the relationship between the brand and those who have been chasing it for years.
What MB&F understands better than many others
Most brands try to create a community. MB&F, with MADEditions, has above all succeeded in creating a collective story in which fans feel like they play a role. It’s very different.
The MAD1 Blue reserved for Friends and Tribe, the MAD1 RED which became the first public MAD, the collaborations, the draws, the frustration, the tiny victories, the repeated defeats, the screenshots of emails received or not received: all this has created a contemporary mythology. A mythology that is certainly light, certainly playful, but incredibly effective.
There MAD2 REDemption pushes this logic very far since it transforms repeated failure into an access criterion. In a way, MB&F institutionalizes bad luck. Said like that, it’s absurd. In practice, this is extremely well seen. This gives the collector who has failed four or more times the feeling of existing other than as a simple statistician of the draw.
Few houses understand to this extent that today, the object is no longer enough. We also have to think about the journey, the frustration, the narration, the feeling of belonging. In this area, MB&F remains one of the strongest.
My opinion on these two new MAD2
I find these two new editions much more interesting than a simple color change. There MAD2 R&B consolidates the most natural aesthetic of this model: that of the club, black, red light, music, pulsation. There MAD2 REDemptionshe adds a layer of story and self-deprecation which immediately gives it a particular depth.
If I had to choose purely on visual grounds, I would probably have a weakness for R&Bmore tense, more consistent with the original inspiration of MAD2. But if we take into account the symbolic charge, the Redemption is probably the tastier of the two. It’s a watch that says something very contemporary about watchmaking desire: we no longer celebrate only those who bought, we begin to reward those who waited.
In any case, these two models confirm that MADEditions is no longer a fun side project. It is now a territory in its own right in the MB&F universe. A more accessible territory, certainly, but not secondary. And above all, a territory where we still find what is missing from so many watch launches: ideas, tone, pleasure and a real personality.
MAD2 R&B and REDemption technical sheet
| Features | Details |
|---|---|
| Models | MAD2 R&B / MAD2 REDemption |
| Creator | Eric Giroud |
| Collection | MADEditions |
| Basic movement | La Joux-Perret G101 |
| Type of movement | Automatic |
| Additional module | Bidirectional jumping hours and trailing minutes developed by MB&F |
| Frequency | 4 Hz / 28,800 vibrations per hour |
| Power reserve | 64 hours |
| Ruby | 24 |
| Housing | 316L stainless steel |
| Diameter | 42mm |
| Thickness | 12.3mm |
| Top glass | Anti-reflective treated sapphire on both sides |
| Lower glass | Anti-reflective treated sapphire on the inside |
| Waterproofing | 30 m / 3 ATM |
| Bracelet | Leather |
| Loop | Stainless steel folding clasp |
| Particularity of R&B | Black dial plate, red hour and minute discs, sale by lottery |
| Special features of REDemption | Platinum-red dial, black hour and minute discs, reserved for people who have participated in at least 4 lotteries without ever winning |
SEO FAQs
What are the new MADEditions 2026 products?
The new products for 2026 are the MAD2 R&B And MAD2 REDemptiontwo new red and black versions of the MAD2 designed by Eric Giroud.
There MAD2 R&B is offered via the MADEditions lottery system. You must register on the official page dedicated to the draws.
Who can buy MAD2 REDemption?
There MAD2 REDemption is reserved for amateurs who have participated in at least four previous MADEditions lotteries without ever having been selected.
What movement equips the MAD2?
The watch has a The Joux-Perret G101 automaticcomplemented by a bidirectional jumping hour and trailing minute module developed by MB&F.
What is the diameter of the MAD2?
The case measures 42mm in diameter for 12.3mm thick.
Is the MAD2 waterproof?
Yes, the watch is given for 30 meters of waterproofing.
