Yinka Ilori Colours MB&F’s World with the Vibrant M.A.D 1S ‘Grow Your Dreams’

Some watches keep time; others define it. The latest creation from MB&F’s M.A.D.Editions, conceived with British-Nigerian artist Yinka Ilori, belongs firmly to the latter.

The M.A.D 1S ‘Grow Your Dreams’ is bold, uplifting and deeply personal; a piece that transforms the wrist into a canvas for colour, optimism and narrative.

The collaboration began in the summer of 2023, when MB&F founder Maximilian Büsser first encountered Ilori’s work. Known for large-scale installations alive with colour and storytelling, Ilori seemed an unconventional but inspired choice for a watchmaking partnership.

Within days, he was in Geneva, and conversations quickly took shape around the idea of nurturing time as one nurtures a dream.

The collection consists of three distinct versions, each limited to 400 pieces.

• Sun is energised by a vivid yellow rotor, paired with green and yellow straps.
• Nature combines a green rotor with purple and red straps, evoking resilience and organic growth.
• Water is expressed through deep and light blue tones across the rotor and straps.

Each watch also includes a white strap for a subtler option. These colours are not applied as decoration but as part of Ilori’s visual language, where colour carries cultural weight and emotional meaning.

Behind the exuberant aesthetics lies serious horology. The stainless-steel case measures 42 mm across and 15 mm thick, balanced for presence and wearability. Inside beats the La Joux-Perret G101 calibre, a Swiss-made automatic movement with a 68-hour power reserve and a frequency of 4 hertz.

The rotor is both mechanical and symbolic. Slimmed for elegance, it has been milled with motifs reminiscent of trees, anodised in vivid hues and treated with Super-LumiNova. When the lights dim, it reveals the glowing inscription: Grow Your Dreams.

For the first time in a M.A.D.Editions piece, the bezel is crafted with HyCeram, a liquid ceramic that is hand-polished to a glossy finish.

Turn the watch over and the aluminium baseplate reveals sculpted wave motifs, designed to catch the light and add depth. These details elevate the watch from functional object to miniature work of art.

MB&F has carefully considered how these pieces reach collectors. A share is reserved for the brand’s existing ‘Tribe’ of owners and its circle of collaborators. The remainder will be distributed through a raffle system, ensuring that access is not determined solely by connections.

The M.A.D 1S ‘Grow Your Dreams’ is priced at CHF 3,200 before VAT, positioning it as one of the most distinctive and approachable ways to experience MB&F’s world while retaining the rarity that makes independent watchmaking so compelling.

Yinka Ilori has compared the act of wearing a watch to nurturing a tree. It requires patience and attention, but over time yields a profound connection. That idea gives the M.A.D 1S ‘Grow Your Dreams’ its depth. It is not simply a measure of hours, but a companion that reflects optimism, resilience and belief in possibility.

In an industry where tradition often leans towards restraint, this collaboration stands apart. It is unafraid of colour, unafraid of joy, and unafraid to speak in a language that blends technical mastery with artistic storytelling.

For established collectors, it offers a refreshing counterpoint to the conservatism of mainstream watch design. For new enthusiasts, it is an invitation into the world of independent horology, with a philosophy as compelling as its mechanics.

The M.A.D 1S ‘Grow Your Dreams’ is not a watch that hides quietly under a cuff. It is a watch that insists on being seen, and more importantly, on being felt. It carries with it the simple but powerful reminder that time, like any dream worth pursuing, must be grown with care.