Franck Muller and Vartan Sirmakes started the company in Geneva with the objective of generating exclusive watches with complicated movements and unique designs. This young company quickly became one of the best Swiss Horlogerie brands because of its strong in-house capabilities in many fields of Haute Horlogerie.
The Cintrée Curvex shape, which is widely known as the brand’s most popular portrait, made Franck Muller watches immediately identifiable. It quickly became a huge success for the brand and a way to express its distinct identity, assert its DNAand demonstrate its expertise in case production.
All of Franck Muller’s mechanical watchmaking complications are designed and developed in their own workshops. First from a simple sketch of a world-premiere mechanism to the implementation of the plans, through the construction of a prototype, all the way through to manufacturing monitoring, every step of the watchmaking process is tracked until it is completed successfully.
1. Franck Muller’s Vanguard Revolution 3
One of the gorgeous Franck Muller watches is the Revolution tourbillons that are among the most aspirational, radical, and astounding works in the history of contemporary watches. Its Vanguard Revolution 3 Skeleton provides an extraordinary technical spectacle and feelings found just at Franck Muller. This device, which boasts a stunning skeleton movement, elegantly shows open-designed black bridges and red aluminum markers, enabling one to admire one of Horlogerie’s most magnificent mechanisms. In contrast to a traditional tourbillon, which only compensates for gravity when the wristwatch is in a vertical position, this triple-axis tourbillon compensates for it in all positions.
This complicated carriage framework is a technical marvel as well as the result of one of Haute Horlogerie’s most complex inventions. The extraordinary triple-axis tourbillon, which dominates the lower half of the movement, slowly rotates through the one-hour, eight-minute, and 60-second cycles of its three carriages. The Vanguard Revolution 3 Skeleton is a surprise of precision and, above all, a masterpiece of micromechanics thanks to this highly complex mechanism.
Energy is generated from the gear train to all three carriages, activating the balance wheel five times per second. Because the Revolution 3 has three carriages, the gear train faces significant resistance. The movement was given a massive 10 days of power reserve in order to provide an abundance of energy to drive this triple-axis tourbillon. Moreover, there are two retrograde indications for the progression of the eight-minute carriage and the 60-second carriage at 4 and 8 o’clock.
The Vanguard case is made of grade-2 titanium and has a black PVD coating. The red Alcantara® strap effortlessly conforms to the shape of the wrist and complements the red decorations on the movement and the Vanguard case. Franck Muller’s futuristic design of Vanguard Revolution 3 is mechanical treasure, which was entirely designed and manufactured in-house, exemplifies Franck Muller’s exceptional work.
2. Franck Muller’s Cielo
Franck Muller’s Cielo collection demonstrates their mastery of the watchmaking art in its purest form. The collection’s guiding principles are purity and sober design. The dial of the Cielo is made of natural blue Aventurine, a semi-precious stone, with inclusions of shiny minerals that give it a glittery appearance.
The name of the collection was inspired by the deep blue of Aventurine stone, which reminds me of the color of the night sky, while the shiny minerals remind me of stars. The collection’s technicality is reflected in the dial’s delicate machining. Its dial is 0.6 millimeters thick, as opposed to the standard 0.9 millimeters. It has been purposefully reduced in order to achieve slight transparency and thus a lighter blue. Its stone is then drilled in order for diamonds to be hand set to index the hours. Its open back enables you to admire the hand-engraved automatic movement, which has a 42-hour power reserve.
The Cielo collection offers one or two rows of diamonds on the case and three different diameters (36, 39, and 42) to accommodate all wrist sizes. This collection also includes a model with a white Mother of Pearl dial.
3. Vanguard Crazy Hours
Franck Muller’s other gorgeous collection, Vanguard Crazy Hours, diligently represents the House’s audacity while adding a distinct aestheticism to the collection. The Crazy Hours, Franck Muller’s most daring complication, is exemplified in a Vanguard case with sporty curves and vibrant figures. The Vanguard Crazy Hours is a vibrant and energetic men’s collection. Its distinct Arabic numbers, applied by hand in flashy colors, explode from the black dial, which is housed in a lightweight black carbon case. To highlight the flashy colors of the numbers, the inserts on the side of the watch, the emblazoned crown, and the stitches on the hand-sewn alligator strap echo them.
Vanguard Crazy Hours Lady is the perfect complement to the men’s collection, with elegant colors and a case handset with 299 brilliant-cut diamonds (3.83 carats). The Vanguard Crazy Hours Lady guarantees a firm grip on the Franck Muller traditions, with a youthful and futuristic aesthetic, thanks to its sun-stamped lacquered dial and distinct numerals applied by hand. With the help of two unseen screws, the strap is artistically integrated into the case. The rubber on the inside of the strap easily conforms to the shape of the wrist, while the alligator on top exudes grace. The handsome blend of rubber and alligator is perfectly modeled and works in perfect harmony with the famous Vanguard case.
The Crazy Hours complication provides a unique reading of time by displaying hour numerals in the most unusual order. Its central hour hand literally jumps from one hour to the next, cordially following the randomly numbered numbers on the dial, thanks to a patented mechanism. As a result, the hour hand would jump to the next correct number every 60 minutes.
Takeaway
Franck Muller watches are sculpted by a renowned watchmaker, and they will pique the interest of both watch enthusiasts and the general public. Having a fantastic Franck Muller watch is worth the effort because of its design, and the most groundbreaking watch complications in automatic chronograph culture. Its amazing features and innovation truly demonstrate the creator’s and the wearer’s originality.