New Release: M.A.D.Editions x Yinka Ilori: M.A.D.1S ‘Grow Your Dreams’
by Ian Skellern
Color has always been a very important part of the M.A.D.Editions collection, but these new models by British-Nigerian artist/designer Yinka Ilori take color to a whole new level. These watches may have been inspired by nature, but rarely does nature look this vibrant . . . or this crazy!
M.A.D.Editions by Yinka Ilori collection
The good news with the M.A.D.Editions is that at around $3,500 (plus taxes), they are relatively affordable, the bad news is that the editions are all widely over-subscribed and getting one is literately the luck of the draw, with a lottery.
From the press release
British Nigerian multidisciplinary artist and designer, Yinka Ilori MBE turns his hand to watchmaking with the M.A.D.1S, infusing it with his signature vibrancy and dream-inspired philosophy in a bold, three-piece collaboration with M.A.D.Editions.
Yinka Ilori and Max Büsser
“Yinka Ilori lives in a universe bursting with colour; his work makes you feel alive, like a rush of adrenaline pushing you to go further. This collaboration has created something that brings joy, a reminder to realise your own dreams.” Maximilian Büsser, MB&F Owner & Creative Director
M.A.D.Editions by Yinka Ilori ‘Water’ on the wrist
Revealing Your True Colours
For Yinka Ilori, the world is a canvas for optimism. Through vibrant colour and playful design, the British-Nigerian artist infuses everyday objects with joy and meaning. From his childhood to his rise as a celebrated multidisciplinary creative, Ilori has used storytelling to blend cultural heritage, social commentary, and aesthetics across diverse mediums.
Driven by a sincere desire to uplift, Ilori transforms everything from London’s greyest corners to custom McLarens into vivid expressions of joy. His work spans multiple disciplines and mediums within the art and design spaces – not limited to; architecture, seismic installations, print, fashion, textiles and homewares – with colour and joy infused into every design and project.
M.A.D.Editions by Yinka Ilori colorful pop-up store
Central to Ilori’s ethos is the belief in nurturing one’s dreams, a principle instilled by his parents -often symbolised through the recurring motif of trees, evoking the patience and hope it takes for ideas to bloom over time.
This dreamscape manifests at every scale: from reimagined playgrounds and illuminated bridges to supermarket shopping bags emblazoned with motivational slogans and kaleidoscopic high-tea stands. For Ilori, the world is not just a canvas – it’s a fertile ground for possibility, where design becomes a vehicle for growth, joy, and transformation.
M.A.D.Editions by Yinka Ilori ‘Nature’
Dreaming is Believing
The allure of Ilori’s work lies in its unpredictability: you never quite know what form it will take next. Ilori’s own journey mirrors this spirit. Though trained in furniture design, it was a foundational course that sparked his curiosity about crafting entire landscapes. Recognised during his time at London Metropolitan University for his distinct storytelling through objects, he received the Emerging Design Medal for his vision.
After a stint at an architecture firm, he received support from the Prince’s Trust, a pivotal moment when he realised that he was living out the wishes of his own mantra. Since then, his universe has expanded: from basketballs to umbrellas, pop-ups to large-scale installations, his evolving design language draws on Nigerian parables and verbal traditions, fusing heritage with hope.
Back of the M.A.D.Editions by Yinka Ilori ‘Nature’
Dreaming by Chance
Ilori’s practice is nothing if not about the evolution of the self, in pursuit of dreaming bigger. Dreams have no set direction, and neither did Maximilian Büsser set out with the specific intent to find a future collaborator for M.A.D.Editions – MB&F’s more accessible, parallel brand.
In a pairing that now feels like fate, during a summer 2023 holiday, Max was rifling through a stack of magazines for respite when he unknowingly landed on a page featuring Ilori’s work. Inspired and dreaming big, he reached out.
Just six days later, Ilori was in Geneva, stepping into the M.A.D.Editions universe to explore a new canvas: a watch.
As children, we’re encouraged to dream big – only to be told later to scale those dreams back. This collaboration between M.A.D.Editions and Yinka Ilori rejects that notion entirely, creating space for bold, unrestrained imagination. Dreaming is envisioning what could be; risk is the courage to pursue it.
M.A.D.Editions by Yinka Ilori ‘Water’ on white and blue straps
M.A.D.Editions proved the perfect home for this collaboration, a brand born not from ambition, but from gratitude. Never originally planned or even desired, M.A.D.Editions was conceived by Büsser as a thank-you to the MB&F community, capturing the haute horlogerie brand’s playful mechanical creativity in a more accessible form.
M.A.D.Editions by Yinka Ilori ‘Sun’ on the wrist
Since its launch in June 2021, driven by overwhelming demand, M.A.D.Editions has evolved from a one-off experimental piece into a family of several models, including the M.A.D.1S, which debuted during Geneva Watch Days 2024. The ‘S’ didn’t just signal a new model, it introduced a slimmer design and a Swiss-made, single-cylinder movement.
M.A.D.Editions by Yinka Ilori ‘Nature’ caseband time display
M.A.D.1S ‘Grow Your Dreams’
To honour Ilori’s profound connection to colour, the answer was clear: why make just one watch when you can create three? This vibrant enterprise was Yinka’s first watch collaboration and became a poetic journey across three timepieces, each inspired by Ilori’s guiding mantra.
M.A.D.Editions by Yinka Ilori ‘Sun’ on green and white straps
Entitled “Grow Your Dreams”, the series explores three themes, each watch named as such: Sun, Nature, and Water – three limited editions of 400 pieces each.
While the case and movement architecture remain anchored in the Swiss Made LaJoux-Perret calibre that debuted in the M.A.D.1S, this edition pushes design and engineering to new possibilities. Months of dedicated development went into reimagining the rotor, now slimmer and more intricate, without compromising its signature high-performance rotation.
M.A.D.Editions by Yinka Ilori ‘Water’
Each blade is precisely milled with a tree motif, a symbol of hope and growth, revealed with every glance at the wrist.
This is not the only technical challenge to diversify the rotor. Made from titanium, it undergoes anodization to transform its colour, allowing the creation of three vivid hues: yellow, green, and blue.
M.A.D.Editions by Yinka Ilori ‘Water’ details
Super-LumiNova highlights the contours of the rotor and illuminates Ilori’s motto etched into its surface: Grow Your Dreams. The numbers on the time display are designed by Yinka Ilori.
Pushing the design language further, the bezel reveals a first for M.A.D.Editions: the introduction of colour inside the bezel itself. Instead of relying on conventional PVD coatings, a precision-machined groove is filled with HyCeram, a high-tech liquid ceramic that hardens through heat and is then finished with hand-polishing.
To complete the rainbow of colours, the aluminium baseplate features stamped textural waves that ripple under the movement with a 3D effect.
M.A.D.Editions by Yinka Ilori ‘Sun’
Each model bursts with mismatched colour through its rubber straps: Sun pairs luminous yellow and green; Water blends deep and sky blues; Nature contrasts bold purple with red. Every strap is further detailed with stamped leaf patterns, echoing Ilori’s dreamscape and philosophy. Each version also comes with a second interchangeable white strap, for those occasions when the mismatched colour straps might be just a bit too much.
M.A.D.Editions by Yinka Ilori ‘Nature’ on red and white straps
Grow Your Dreams isn’t just a celebration of colour or identity, rather, a call to nurture our ambitions like seeds, to believe in their potential, and to remember: no dream is beyond us, it is only waiting for its time to bloom.
“I’ve always been obsessed with trees. Harvesting and growing them because you invest time in it. It’s pouring love into something you care about, and that starts a conversation. It’s the same for this process, and the way of thinking behind it with Max. You have to be patient and harvest a watch. There are similarities between our universes. Typically, mine are very public, but there’s something very private and public about a watch. Everyone sees it, but it’s you who has that connection with it.” Yinka Ilori
M.A.D.Editions by Yinka Ilori ‘Nature’ on the wrist
As with previous M.A.D.Editions, a portion of the Grow Your Dreams pieces will go to our Tribe (MB&F owners) and Friends (suppliers) on a first come, first served basis. The rest will be offered to the public via a raffle, giving access to purchasing the M.A.D.1S Grow Your Dreams. The raffle opens Tuesday, September 2nd and closes Monday, September 8th. Registration is free.
Retail price before taxes is CHF 3,200 + VAT.
For more information, please visit www.mbandf.com/madeditions/madeditions-raffles
Quick facts: M.A.D.1S Grow Your Dreams
Three limited editions of 400 pieces each:
‘Sun’ with yellow rotor, yellow and green strap;
‘Nature’ with green rotor, purple and red strap;
‘Water’ with blue rotor, dark and light blue strap.
Movement
Swiss made Manufacture LaJoux-Perret G101 movement
Rotating hours cylinder with Super-LumiNova numerals
Height: 4.45mm
Line diameter: 11 ½’’
Balance/Frequency: 4Hz / 28’800 bph
Jewels: 24
Power reserve: 68 hours
Automatic winding (unidirectional), titanium rotor with Super-LumiNova accents
Case
Stainless steel 316L
HyCeram colored accents on bezel
Dimensions: diameter 42mm x height 15mm
Water resistance: 30m / 3ATM / 90 feet
Mineral glass and sapphire crystal treated with anti-reflective coating on both faces
Strap & buckle
Rubber straps detailed with stamped leaf pattern
Each watch delivered with interchangeable mismatched colored strap and a white strap
Stainless steel folding buckle
Price: CHF 3,200 + VAT
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thanks for the write up! after losing every single raffle before this, I finally won this time and got the Nature color way. can’t wait to get mine in my hands. cool backstory and love the collab