The M.A.D.Gallery turns 15, and MB&F marks the moment with a fittingly playful instrument from Martin Smith – the Solar Orbiter Watch Winder. It is art first, accessory second, and entirely in character for a space where mechanics are allowed to smile.
Smith was among the gallery’s earliest voices with Laikingland, the collaboration he founded with engineer Nick Regan. Works like The Applause Machine and Fingers treated motion as a joke told with precision. The point was not utility. The point was delight.
This new piece began as a sunlit kinetic sculpture, with a nod to the Eames Solar Do-Nothing Machine, until Maximilian Büsser posed the obvious question: could it become a watch winder. Smith, by his own admission, saw that coming.
Standing 60 cm tall and assembled from more than 300 handcrafted components, the Solar Orbiter guides a watch through a calm, intricate choreography of gears and arms. It runs in complete silence thanks to custom electronics. Small winks to Smith’s past works appear throughout, from a clapping hand to a heart, while interchangeable heart, hand and star elements invite the owner to curate the scene.
The edition is limited to 10 numbered pieces. Retail price is CHF 9’900 + VAT.
As an object, it sits neatly where the M.A.D.Gallery has always stood – between engineering and imagination. It winds a watch, yes, but more importantly it winds the mind. In an age of noisy complexity, this is gentle mechanics with a sense of humor and a clear purpose.
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