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

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