News broke this morning that Chanel has invested a 25% stake in MB&F, one of our favorite independent brands. The investment comes on the eve of MB&F?s 20th anniversary year, and is being framed by the brand as future-proofing the company. ?It was our responsibility,? according to a statement from founder Max Büsser, ?in today?s very favourable context and with our management team in its prime, to take this major step to ensure our long-term future.?

MB&F founder Max Büsser

Büsser retains a majority stake in the company (60%) while his partner and Head of R&D & Production Serge Kriknoff owns 15%. According to the statement released by MB&F, the brand will continue to be run independently by the current leadership team, which also includes Charris Yadigaroglou (Head of Marketing Communications) and Thibault Verdonckt (Head of Sales). Brands taking on investment is of course nothing new, and the decision of a niche independent that has displayed over multiple decades that it?s capable of not only sustaining itself but growing feels like a smart business decision. It plays directly into a topic that comes up a lot in the world of independent watchmaking: What happens when a founder moves on" While there is no indication that Büsser is stepping aside anytime soon, longevity is something always on the mind of watch collectors. This is an industry, after all, where some brands can trace their roots to the 18th century. We covered this very to...