TFS#198 - Maximilian Büsser Founder @MB&F shares his journey on Crafting 21 Calibres in 19 years

THE FLIP SIDE with Andy Mai

Maximilian Büsser is a creative force in the world of watchmaking, known for founding MB&F (Maximilian Büsser & Friends), a brand that turns traditional watchmaking on its head. After honing his craft at Jaeger-LeCoultre and leading the creation of the Opus series at Harry Winston, Büsser launched MB&F in 2005. His designs push the boundaries of traditional watchmaking, turning watches into kinetic sculptures that blend technical mastery with bold artistic vision.

Connect with Maximilian Büsser!

instagram.com/maxbusser

youtube.com/@Mbandf

Visit MB&F website to learn more!

mbandf.com

CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Introduction

03:09 - How did Max start his journey in designing watches?

04:55 - Max on working with Harry Winston Timepieces before building his own watch brand

09:17 - The difference between watchmaking and crafting other products

11:17 - Why is buying a Rolex the first step in starting a watch collection?

16:18 - Where did Max develop his taste for designing watches?

21:01 - Are we running out of watchmakers? The story of MB&F watchmakers

25:16 - How long does it take for MB&F's watchmakers to produce a watch for each collection?

27:47 - Is it possible to make your own watch from scratch?

29:49 - Does MB&F use different components for each calibre in their collections?

31:37 - How does Max teach watchmakers to craft the new designs he creates?

35:42 - How does MB&F differ from other watch brands?

38:11 - Max’s inspiration for creating the M.A.D. Edition watch

40:57 - Max on being a hands-on watch designer for MB&F and working with Stephen McDonnell

42:47 - Max’s day-to-day life as a watch designer at MB&F

46:32 - How have Max’s watch designing skills evolved over the years?

49:45 - Does MB&F continue to produce watches from its old collections?

52:03 - MB&F needs to generate an 8-12 million Swiss franc return on R&D before they consider stopping production of certain calibres

55:16 - What has been the bottleneck for MB&F?

58:33 - MB&F on using human hands to polish the metal parts of their watches

1:00:50 - How long do MB&F watches last?

1:03:21 - How does MB&F's watch repair service work?

1:06:06 - What does the retail and resale market for MB&F watches look like?

1:08:55 - What is the MB&F customer demographic?

1:10:53 - Max on owning Finn Juhl furniture, a Wiesmann car, and his favorite restaurants

1:13:39 - Max on his favorite clothing brand "Son of a Tailor"

1:18:31 - What is Max’s vision for MB&F?

1:21:45 - Max on keeping the price of the M.A.D. Edition at 2,900 Swiss francs

1:23:52 - Max on finding and working with manufacturers

1:25:30 - How much does it cost to craft a single watch?

1:28:41 - How does MB&F distribute their watches?

1:30:17 - Where can you buy/find MB&F watches?

1:35:59 - Max on why he loves to wear the Stephen McDonell's Legacy Machine Perpetual Evo

1:38:13 - Max on his Collector's Dream watch: Beat Haldimann’s watch

1:39:28 - Max’s recent life discoveries

1:40:37 - Max’s goals and focus for the next six months

1:41:13 - Connect with Maximilian Büsser

1:42:15 - Outro