MB&F’s MAD3 Pays Homage to Vincent Calabrese A love letter to Baladin.
MB&F’s MAD3 Pays Homage to Vincent Calabrese A love letter to Baladin.
MB&F’s third MAD special edition Discount replica watch reinterprets Vincent Calabrese’s iconic jumping hour complication. Although still allocated by lottery, the MAD3 Vincent Calabrese is significant for MB&F’s entry-level sub-brand, being the first watch with a completely concealed rotor and the first based on a classic design by a renowned watchmaker.
Vincent Calabrese is a pioneering independent watchmaker who co-founded the Academy of Independent Watchmakers (AHCI) with Sven Anderson in 1985. Mr. Calabrese is perhaps best known for developing highly original movements for other brands, including the Corum Golden Bridge movement and Blancpain’s first flying tourbillon watch movement developed in 1989.
But Mr. Calabrese also produces Online replica watches under his own name, including the Baladin watch, which inspired the design of MAD3. Maximilian Bissell and Mr. Calabrese are longtime friends who have discussed collaborative watch projects on numerous occasions, but MAD3 marks their first collaboration.
No Jumping Time
When deciding to pay homage to the Balladin, the MAD Editions team wanted to recreate one of its defining characteristics: the Balladin’s time doesn’t “jump” to the next hour like traditional jumping hours.
Instead, it’s a slower process, lasting several minutes: approximately three minutes before the hands reach the 12 o’clock position, the hour disc below the dial is fixed, while the dial (and its hour display window) continues to rotate. When the hands reach the top of the dial, the hour display window aligns with the next hour. At this point, both discs relock into place and continue rotating together around the dial.
Mr. Calabrese designed his original Balladin clock this way to address what he considered a flaw in traditional jumping hours: he felt the transitions were too abrupt and conceptually disconnected from the actual flow of time. He wanted the transitions between hours to be clearly visible and gradual. https://www.reviewluxurystore.com/
The MAD3 retains its unique jumping hour design, its slow ticking speed preserving the charm of the Baladin series. However, to achieve this design and mass production, MB&F completely redesigned it. The MAD3 is based on the La Joux-Perret G111 movement and features MB&F’s in-house developed jumping hour module.
One drawback of this dial design is legibility, especially the 6 and 9 o’clock hour markers, which flip outwards when the dial is rotated. This doesn’t usually cause problems, but it can be inconvenient for some users when traveling or adjusting the watch. There’s currently no perfect solution other than using a more complex planetary gear mechanism, but adding an underline below these two numerals helps users quickly identify the hour.
The Baladin Reissue
MB&F didn’t simply copy the Baladin design, but rather adopted its design philosophy. Therefore, there are many differences between the two watches. The most obvious difference is the size. The Baladin has a case diameter of only 34mm, while the MAD3 has a diameter of 40mm, making it more in line with contemporary watch aesthetic standards. https://www.perfectwrist.co/
Another emerging design element is the teardrop-shaped logo on the crown, inspired by the design of the hour display window. The MAD2 watch also uses a similar design, with teardrop-shaped hour and minute hands.
The case of this watch was designed by our old friend Eric Giroud, and its structure is similar to the MAD2, with a “floating” lug design that blends seamlessly with the case back. The lugs are relatively short, with a lug spacing of only 43mm, ensuring comfortable wear for most collectors, even those who prefer smaller watches.
As we would expect from previous MAD Edition watches, the automatic rotor plays an important role in the design, with six windows displaying a famous quote from Mr. Calabrese, which translates to “It is easy to please others, but much harder to be proud of oneself.”
Diameter: 40 mm;
Height: 12.7 mm;
Material: Stainless steel;
Crystal: Sapphire crystal;
Water resistance: 30 meters
Movement: La Joux-Perret G111 with in-house roaming hour module;
Functions: Roaming jumping hours, minutes, seconds;
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz);
Winding method: Automatic;
Power reserve: 55 hours
Strap: Leather strap with folding clasp