Maximilian Büsser

Maximilian Büsser is the founder, owner, creative director and disruptor behind MB&F – the avant-garde horological laboratory founded in 2005, rooted in creativity and collaboration, widely acknowledged today as one of the pioneers of contemporary independent watchmaking. Initially focused exclusively on creating high-end watches bearing the same name, MB&F has since added the more accessible brand M.A.D.Editions to its portfolio, along with other forms of mechanical co-creations developed with like-minded Manufactures.

Combined with his radical creativity, Büsser’s professional credo of transparency and open collaboration (as represented by the name of his company, short for Maximilian Büsser & Friends) is the foundation of MB&F’s enduring success and often cited by industry experts as a key catalyst in the formation of watchmaking’s cultural landscape.

Büsser entered the domain in 1991 at the heritage maison Jaeger-LeCoultre. From industrial legend Günther Blümlein and brand patriarch Henry-John Belmont, he absorbed the values of traditional métiers d’horlogerie, while playing a key role in the transformation and development of JLC’s products, sales and marketing.

Anointed leader of Harry Winston Rare Timepieces in 1998, Büsser successfully repositioned the brand, gaining recognition from his peers. Through his introduction of the Opus Project, he pioneered a new strategy for high-end watchmaking, celebrating mechanical artistry in a series of collaborations with independent watchmakers.

Büsser’s journey into fully-fledged entrepreneurship began when he established MB&F, a brand that has become synonymous with the concept of horological kinetic art. Under his leadership, MB&F transformed classical horology into highly emotional objects, blending engineering expertise with untamed creativity, where worlds could come together and anything could happen. His Horological Machines inspired by themes as diverse as science fiction or post-war architecture reimagine watchmaking as a boundless playground, while his Legacy Machines pay homage to tradition, deconstructing it in unexpected ways.

Often referred to as “Max”, Büsser was born in Milan in 1967 to a Swiss father and an Indian mother: a cultural crossroads which continued through his childhood and adult life, growing up in the Swiss countryside, watching Japanese animated television series, dreaming of Italian cars…

Max holds a master’s degree in micro-engineering from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). With over 30 years of experience in the watch industry, he possesses a unique combination of blue-sky strategy and grounded pragmatism that results in the emergence of new industry paradigms.

His innovative approach has earned MB&F some of the industry’s highest accolades, including the Aiguille d’Or at the 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) — the most prestigious award of the event known by industry insiders as the “Oscars of Watchmaking”. In 2018, his contributions to the industry were formally recognised with the Gaïa ‘Spirit of Enterprise’ Award, acknowledging his leadership and commitment to creative collaboration.

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