Cover Maximilian Büsser
Maximilian Büsser
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Maximilian Büsser believes he broke every rule in the MBA handbook
MB&F is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The independent watch brand is a pioneering force, operating more like an artistic collective than a traditional manufacture, crafting innovative creations through collaborations with watchmakers and other creatives. The name—an acronym of Maximilian Büsser and Friends—reflects this ethos, undeniably the cornerstone of its success.
While the brand now enjoys a devoted cult following, founder Maximilian Büsser's journey was long and arduous, with serious moments of financial hardship along the way. “We all know that if you're going to launch a business, you need a great business plan, a lineup of new products, and you have to have the funding. I had only one sketch of a weird (watch) case with two circles. I had to put up all my savings and I still came up short. I had an Excel spreadsheet which told me that I would need to double the amount (of capital),” said Büsser at the IAMWATCH event last year in Singapore.
At that time, Büsser was still the CEO of Harry Winston Rare Timepieces. His contract was up for renewal and the new terms included a non-compete clause. He tendered his resignation despite not having a solid business plan and financial backing. “If you had done an MBA, they would tell you not to do [what I did]. But if I didn’t do it, I knew I would regret it. The worst thing that could happen was I would lose all my money.”
In hindsight, it was probably the best decision he made.
Read more: Tag Heuer revives its iconic role as Formula 1 Official Timekeeper
Here are five takeaways from his share on his entrepreneurial journey.
Embrace your passion
Above The avant-garde MB&F Horological Machine No.1
The avant-garde MB&F Horological Machine No.1
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“I felt the need to create what I believed in. I didn’t want somebody to tell me constantly about more growth, more profit—that drove me crazy,” said Büsser.
At Harry Winston, Büsser oversaw the creation of the Opus series of extraordinary timepieces in collaboration with various independent watchmakers, from Vianney Halter to Felix Baumgartner. He adopted the same strategy for MB&F—hence the ‘Friends’ in the name—an approach that continues to fuel its creative energy.
Driven by his belief in this solitary sketch, Büsser travelled the world to meet with retailers, boldly asking them to pay him one-third of the cost upfront—based on nothing more than an idea and a drawing. For his effort, he managed to persuade five or six retailers, and Michael Tay of The Hour Glass was one of them.
Büsser spent the next two years working on the watch in his flat, aided by designer Eric Giroud, movement engineer Laurent Besse, and watchmaker Peter Speake-Marin. The result was Horological Machine No.1 (HM1), a sculptural timepiece featuring the hour and the minute on two separate dials. When it was released, it was hailed as a groundbreaking debut that challenged the traditional norms of watchmaking.
In the following years, Büsser had to deal with the 2008 financial crisis, the Covid pandemic, and a succession issue, but the one thing that never wavered was his strong conviction in the work he did with his team of creatives. “I now have a designer, also named Maximilian (Maerten), who has much wilder ideas than me. He’s certifiably insane, and the team knows he’s going to be the next creative director,” said Büsser.
Surround yourself with people who have your back
Above The friends of MB&F
The friends of MB&F
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From the get-go, Büsser wanted something akin to a creative lab. “I’m blessed to be able to create incredible pieces with this incredible team and the people I love,” he mused.
Tay, the group managing director of The Hour Glass and the brainchild behind IAMWATCH, is one of Büsser’s most ardent supporters, believing in him and his vision from the very start. Then there are the MB&F collaborators, a truly staggering list of luminaries of the watchmaking world that helps to make every MB&F watch unique yet imbued with the same maverick ethos that has come to define the brand.
In the last 20 years, the core MB&F team has also grown to over 50 people. “We’ve managed to find people who all think ‘we’ and not ‘me’. In Europe, it’s very difficult to find people with this mindset, with this startup attitude where everyone contributes ideas, works together, and puts in the extra hours to help their colleagues.”
See also: Max Büsser: “[Winning GPHG’s] Aiguille d’Or is a priceless message from our peers”
Build a solid foundation
Like every entrepreneur, Büsser learned the hard way just how challenging it is to run a business in the global economy. “In 2007, we almost fell off the face of the earth when our main supplier who engineered the components of our movements was sold to a brand. Back then, we hadn’t planned on creating our own movements,” said Büsser, who initially envisioned MB&F to be a boutique outfit relying mainly on external suppliers.
The experience taught him a valuable lesson. “As soon as I could, I brought some of the knowledge and skills in-house. We had always aimed to function as a creative lab, relying on others to manufacture the components. But I realised it was important to have a contingency plan, and it was the start of us doing a few things internally.”
Make good products
Above M.A.D.1 Red
M.A.D.1 Red
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When the rest of the world shut down for the pandemic, MB&F voted against sitting still, mainly because salaries still had to be paid. “Covid was a pretty incredible incubator of trial and error,” said Büsser. “We continued as if nothing had happened.”
The Horological Machine No.10 Bulldog was launched in March 2020, at the start of the global lockdown. Two months later, the Legacy Machine 101 in collaboration with H. Moser & Cie., debuted. Both were well-received, which surprised no one more than Büsser himself. “They actually sold, which was crazy.”
Encouraged, MB&F felt optimistic enough to introduce M.A.D. Edition, a long-gestating project originally conceived as a brand. M.A.D. is the more accessible version of MB&F but just as creative. Its most defining feature is the triple-blade winding rotor in titanium and tungsten visible on the dial. It didn’t make a grand entrance—after all, the world was still in the grip of a pandemic—but via a simple email to collectors, who went, well, quite mad for it. The M.A.D. Edition has since become an integral part of the MB&F lexicon.
Stay small, think creatively
Above The MB&F team at the M.A.D.House, its creative hub
The MB&F team at the M.A.D.House, its creative hub
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When a company thrives, scaling up seems like the natural next step. But Büsser is adamant that this is as big as he is willing to go.
“This is exactly where we want to be. There will be no more growth,” he said. “No growth doesn’t mean that you don’t create. You don’t need to grow your business to be creative. On the contrary, if you want to be hyper-creative, don’t grow your business.”
Things are also more efficient when you’re small. “Identify the issue, find the solutions, debate them, decide on the implementation, and do it. Everything is decided in 45 minutes. A new recruit from (a luxury conglomerate) wondered whether he had stumbled onto Candid Camera—because this was not how things were done at his former employer,” said Büsser.
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Brian Cheong leads the watch (Tatler GMT) and jewellery content at Tatler Malaysia, combining sharp editorial insight with years of luxury lifestyle experience. A seasoned journalist in luxury watches based in Kuala Lumpur, Brian had previously helmed World of Watches, Men's Folio and Prestige Malaysia.
