Yinka Ilori launches debut watch collection with M.A.D.Editions

Yinka Ilori MBE has released his first-ever watch collection in collaboration with MB&F's M.A.D.Editions. The series, titled Grow Your Dreams, was unveiled this week and consists of three limited-edition models – Sun, Nature, and Water – with 400 pieces of each design available worldwide.

The launch marks Yinka's first foray into horology and a new chapter for M.A.D.Editions, MB&F's more accessible brand, which is known for fusing imaginative design with high-performance Swiss engineering.

Maximilian Büsser, MB&F's founder and creative director, describes how the collaboration was a natural fit. He says: "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," he says.

Yinka has built his reputation on transforming the everyday into moments of joy. Whether designing playgrounds, illuminating bridges, or reimagining McLarens, his projects are infused with colour, storytelling, and optimism. Drawing from his British-Nigerian heritage, he uses design to explore themes of community, hope, and belonging.

At the heart of his practice lies a fascination with trees, a recurring motif that symbolises patience and growth. "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," says Yinka.

He adds, "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."

The collaboration began unexpectedly in summer 2023, when Max came across Yinka's work in a magazine while on holiday. Within a week, the artist was in Geneva exploring the world of M.A.D.Editions. What started as a casual conversation soon developed into a full-scale partnership that celebrates the power of imagination and risk-taking.

M.A.D.Editions itself has a similarly serendipitous history. Launched in 2021 as a thank-you to MB&F's community, it grew into a cult phenomenon, with models selling out through raffles that drew tens of thousands of hopeful collectors. By combining MB&F's daring design ethos with a more accessible price point, the brand has carved out a space for experimental but wearable watches.

Yinka's collection pushes that experimentation further with three models instead of one, each inspired by his mantra to "grow your dreams." Sun, Nature, and Water have their own unique colour and symbolism.

While the watches share the M.A.D.1S architecture and Swiss-made LaJoux-Perret movement, the details set them apart. A titanium rotor shaped like a tree spins beneath Super-LumiNova highlights, while HyCeram-filled bezels add bold flashes of colour.

Straps continue the theme with mismatched hues, such as yellow and green for Sun, purple and red for Nature, and layered blues for Water. Each piece comes with a second white strap for a more minimal option.

The numbers on the rotating cylinders were designed by Yinka himself, while his guiding phrase, "Grow Your Dreams," is etched into the rotor.

The collection ultimately brings Yinka's joyful design language into a new medium while staying true to M.A.D. Editions' mission of playful, forward-thinking watchmaking. For Yinka, the watches are reminders to nurture ambition with patience and care and for collectors, it's a rare chance to own a piece of optimism that you can actually wear.