Among the April fool’s day shenanigans this year was an advert from Volkswagen, teasing the return of the iconic ‘harlequin’ colorway in a new ID.3. Unfortunately, that won’t become a reality, much to the chagrin of enthusiasts, but a similar approach to color did make a more lasting debut, and it came in the form of a new MAD One from the minds behind MB&F. The new special edition features a design done in collaboration with French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. The result captures the same inspired creative spirit seen in the Polo and Golf Harlequins of the ’90s.
The unique display and base structure of the MAD One remains unchanged. A Miyota movement mounted upside down, placing the rotor at the top, and moving the display to the case wall in a set of rotating rings. The rotor itself is the star of the show here, taking on a trio of colors within the traditional MB&F ‘battle ax’ design. There is an illustrated, graphic quality to the colors that have been added, looking to have jumped straight out of a comic book, with bold, rich hue and details.
The design is not static, however. The rotor spins with the slightest bit of momentum, sending the colors into a dizzying array of red, blue, and yellow. This falls directly in line with the artist’s intent here, with Jean-Charles de Castelbajac pushing to disrupt the status quo with his work, and promote artistic chaos in the process. The colors on the rotor are rendered as angel wings, and each represents a theme: red for passion, blue for hope, yellow for human warmth.
A closer look will reveal a quote from the artists that’s been printed around the dial, under the rotor, reading: “Ce trésor rare et précieux, c’est ta vie. Le temps vole de ses ailes blanches. Tu es le gardien de ton temps” or “This rare and precious treasure is your life. Time flies with its white wings. You are the guardian of your time”.
More nods to this theme can be found in the crown, which features an engraving of an angel talking to the moon, and in the strap, which is stitched with “Time To Love” in the same variety of colors found on the dial. The discs which display the time have been printed with numerals done in a hand-written font, and the hour disc gets a green base, completing the color scheme.
The result is easily the most visually striking, and compelling variation of the MAD One to date. The watch is limited to 999 units, and as we’ve seen in the past with these things, MB&F have opened a raffle for potential buyers to register interest. That raffle is currently open, and will close on April 17th, after which buyers will be selected at random. The price is set at $3,600, and deliveries will take place throughout the year. MB&F