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TALES FROM THE TRIBE
EPISODE 5 - A spark of adrenaline with Alex Ghotbi
This fifth episode of our series features Alexandre Ghotbi. Passionate about watchmaking, he turned his passion into a profession after a career as a lawyer. Also known for his expertise for vintage watches, he is now one of the most important auctioneers in the watch market.
In this episode, Alex tells about his childhood in Iran, the rising of his passion for watchmaking - he defines himself as a “watch nut” - and his transition into a career that feels more like a calling.
He then offers the best advice for choosing your watch in an auction room : always look for the spark of adrenaline.
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Tales From The Tribe is an MB&F creation, hosted by Maximilian Büsser. Production : Lacmé Studios & Converge - Author : Hugo Baiardi - Direction : Josh Vardey - Mix : Ben Auriel - Original Soundtrack : Pablo Altar- Graphics : Maxime Schertenleib.
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8. EPISODE 8 - Crafting Connections with Chia Pei Qi & Kenneth Kuan
39:30||Season 1, Ep. 8This episode of Tales from the Tribe features Chia Pei Qi and Ken Kuan, the visionary founders of Delugs. What began as a passion for leather craftsmanship in their Berkeley dorm room has grown into a thriving business specialising in watch straps, redefining how collectors personalise their timepieces.In this episode, Pei and Ken share their journey, from meeting in the Singapore Armed Forces to achieving international acclaim, including Pei's recognition as one of Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2024. They discuss how their love of craftsmanship and spirit of innovation has driven them forward, while building a community around their brand. The story of two young entrepreneurs who take every step as an opportunity to learn and grow as a person, showing, as Pei would say, what “two hearts, two minds, and two perspectives” can achieve together.----Tales From The Tribe is an MB&F creation, hosted by Maximilian Büsser. Production : Lacmé Studios & Converge - Author : Hugo Baiardi - Direction : Josh Vardey - Mix : Ben Auriel - Original Soundtrack : Pablo Altar- Graphics : Maxime Schertenleib.7. EPISODE 7 - A suitcase full of dreams with Shashi Reddy
40:45||Season 1, Ep. 7This episode of Tales from the Tribe features Shashi Reddy, one of the first members of “The Tribe.” From his journey to the U.S. as a very young man with big dreams to partnering with Apple and launching innovative ventures, Shashi’s story is one of perseverance, boldness, and timing. A born problem-solver with a passion for mechanics, he shares how his curiosity - from dissecting watches as a child to designing phone cases - shaped his career. In this episode, Shashi also reflects on collecting independent watches before they became mainstream, his love for engineering’s artistry, and his mantra of celebrating life’s every moment. He reflects on the value of lifelong relationships, the importance of humility, and the resilience required to rise stronger after every fall, proving that life truly is fantastic.6. EPISODE 6 - Thriving on the edge with Yann Mrazek
32:56||Season 1, Ep. 6This sixth episode of our series features Yann Mrazek. Yann has excelled in both sport and business: a four-time Swiss Basketball League champion, he is now one of the most valued and respected business lawyers in Dubai. From professional athlete to fearless entrepreneur, Yann has always pushed his limits, embracing discomfort as a driver of success. Growing up in a legendary sporting family, he recounts key moments from his 11 years as a pro player, while simultaneously building his entrepreneurial career.In this episode, Yann explains how his athlete’s mindset helped him start his own business. He also shares insights on decision-making, finding the right people, and embracing the highs and lows. We discuss his love for independent watchmaking, which he sees as a form of pure art, emphasizing that the story behind the object is so important.----Tales From The Tribe is an MB&F creation, hosted by Maximilian Büsser. Production : Lacmé Studios & Converge - Author : Hugo Baiardi - Direction : Josh Vardey - Mix : Ben Auriel - Original Soundtrack : Pablo Altar- Graphics : Maxime Schertenleib.4. EPISODE 4 - Helping for good with Nirdhar Khazanie
29:41||Season 1, Ep. 4This fourth episode of our series features Nirdhar Khazanie. Better known as Ninu, he’s a Senior Product Manager, working on Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp security and data privacy at Meta. No less! But first and foremost he’s a true watch lover, driven by the desire to help others. Ninu is both an incredibly determined gentleman, founder of a non-profit organization who took part in building machine learning models that affect billions of people, and a family man who loves cooking and sharing good meals.In this episode, Nirdhar shares his vision of helping people as a driving force for the tech industry, his advice on how to set and achieve one's goals, his fondness for watches’s unique fingerprint and above all, his love for surprises. ----Tales From The Tribe is an MB&F creation, hosted by Maximilian Büsser. Production : Lacmé Studios & Converge - Author : Hugo Baiardi - Direction : Josh Vardey - Mix : Ben Auriel - Original Soundtrack : Pablo Altar- Graphics : Maxime Schertenleib.3. EPISODE 3 - Reinventing Human Body with Bill Doyle
30:58||Season 1, Ep. 3This third episode of our series features Bill Doyle. Bill was early fascinated by the stories of engineers. He studied physics, material science and engineering, and developed while being a grad student in MIT the first practical electroluminescent lamps that were later integrated into watchmaking processes. Besides his passion for independent watchmaking and exotic materials such as zirconia, niobium or tungsten, he dedicated his career to healthcare. In this episode, Bill shares his fascination for the human body, his work on a completely new approach to treating cancer based on electric fields and his vision of the future of healthcare, but also his bond to watchmaking as an intersectional space between science, engineering and art. ----Tales From The Tribe is an MB&F creation, hosted by Maximilian Büsser. Production : Lacmé Studios & Converge - Author : Hugo Baiardi - Direction : Josh Vardey - Mix : Ben Auriel - Original Soundtrack : Pablo Altar- Graphics : Maxime Schertenleib.2. EPISODE 2 - The power of regrets with Todd Searle
33:51||Season 1, Ep. 2This second episode of our series features Todd Searle. Todd defines himself as a dreamer, which is the best way to talk about him. He is so passionate about artisanal watchmaking that he left everything behind to live fully of his passion, becoming one of the main directors of watchmaking documentaries in the world.. Fierce protector of the spirit of entrepreneurship, he is the author of “32 regrets : a guide to reclaiming creativity”, where he talks about entrepreneurs who have successfully turned their life’s passion into self sustaining ventures, including Maximilian Büsser. In this episode, Todd talks about failure as a major key to success, his love at first sight for artisanal watches, his passion for the history of Swiss watchmaking and most of all, about creativity as a major driver in his life.---Tales From The Tribe is an MB&F creation, hosted by Maximilian Büsser. Production : Lacmé Studios & Converge - Author : Hugo Baiardi - Direction : Josh Vardey - Mix : Ben Auriel - Original Soundtrack : Pablo Altar- Graphics : Maxime Schertenleib.1. EPISODE 1 - Learn how to smell the roses with Wen Hsieh
28:09||Season 1, Ep. 1This first episode of our series features Wen Hsieh. He was, until recently, a managing partner at Kleiner Perkins, one of the world's most prominent venture capital firms in Silicon Valley, he's an expert at fostering tech innovations through startups, and he just started his own Hardtech VC firm Matter Venture Partners. Maximilian Büsser says that meeting him is one of the high points of his last couple of years, because as successful as Wen is as an entrepreneurial venture capitalist, he still cultivates a little touch of madness in everything he does. In this episode, we’ll talk about Wen’s childhood in the Amazon jungle living like a native Indian kid, Google’s historic first fundraise, the power of imagination in his daily life, his willingness to find work life balance as a busy venture capitalist, and finally the dream he wishes to achieve in the year to come.---Tales From The Tribe is an MB&F creation, hosted by Maximilian Büsser. Production : Lacmé Studios & Converge - Author : Hugo Baiardi - Direction : Josh Vardey - Mix : Ben Auriel - Original Soundtrack : Pablo Altar - Graphics : Maxime SchertenleibTALES FROM THE TRIBE : TEASER
01:00||Season 1To Maximilian Büsser, founder of MB&F, watchmaking is art, but most of all, it’s a mindset, a journey. The history of watchmaking is filled with adventurers - dreamers, engineers, artists who will each in their own way contribute to a better world. The watchmaking journey is first and foremost about very special individuals. Some are rebels and mavericks and most have a little touch of madness…Over the years, MB&F has united around the brand a collectors’ circle called “The Tribe”, who are each in their own way adventurers. In this podcast, you’ll discover their amazing lives, what drives their creativity and what feeds their passion for watchmaking. Welcome to Tales from the Tribe, the MB&F’s Podcast.---Tales From The Tribe is an MB&F creation, hosted by Maximilian Büsser. Production : Lacmé Studios & Converge - Author : Hugo Baiardi - Direction : Josh Vardey - Mix : Ben Auriel - Original Soundtrack : Pablo Altar - Graphics : Maxime Schertenleib