Franck Muller: An Overview of the World-famous Watch Brand

Introduction

Named after its co-founder, Franck Muller is one of the most admired luxury watch brands in the world. The company was established in the early 1990s by the talented Swiss master watchmaker in partnership with Vartan Sirmakes, a passionate Swiss-Armenian entrepreneur.

Because of his immense expertise in the extremely complex horological mechanisms, Franck Muller has been known as the “Master of Complications.” Before establishing his eponymous brand, he had been working as an independent watchmaker and restorer. He was the first horologer to produce a watch with a tourbillon visible from the dial side. Vartan Sirmakes, the visionary businessman specialized in the manufacturing of watchcases, signed a partnership with Franck Muller in 1991 to set-up a new Swiss luxury watch brand.

To establish the headquarters of the Manufacture Franck Muller (Watchland), they selected Genthod, a village near Geneva. In addition to this major site, the company has production facilities in the Swiss Jura Region. The brand produces all components in-house, like movements, cases and dials.

In addition to the mastery of high-complication timepieces, the company is equally known for its expertise in the manufacture of shaped watch cases. Its Cintrée Curvex is the most aerodynamic watch case ever created. It has instantly become a signature feature of the Franck Muller brand. The Manufacture produces curved dials for its Cintrée Curvex watches. It is also one of the first luxury brands to introduce vibrantly colored and uniquely shaped numerals on the dials.

Franck Muller is renowned worldwide for its original designs, technical know-how and brilliant innovations in high-end watchmaking. The notable world premiers from the luxury brand are: the Crazy Hours, the Revolution 3 (the first tri-axial tourbillon watch in the world), and the Aeternitas Mega and the Giga Tourbillon.

Franck Muller is also a leading producer of diamond-set wristwatches. The iconic brand creates bezel-set and full-set variants of most of its timepieces. It also offers fully paved tourbillon watches that are highly sought-after by high-profile celebrities like Cristiano Ronaldo.

Franck Muller Watch Collections

In addition to the signature tonneau-shaped watches, the Maison also produces rectangular, round, pebble, oval and square timepieces. The brand offers luxury wristwatches made of high-quality materials like stainless steel, 18K gold, titanium, platinum and carbon fiber. The Franck Muller HK retail price range typically starts from HKD40,000. 

(1) Cintrée Curvex

The Cintrée Curvex line is comprised of Franck Muller watches with emblematic curved (tonneau) case. The brand has developed various horological mechanisms to explore the beauty of this aerodynamic design. It includes skeleton models, time-only watches, chronographs, perpetual calendars, tourbillons, multi-complications like tourbillon perpetual calendar and Grand Date.

The Cintrée Curvex case design is also used in Casablanca, Crazy Hour, Color Dream, Croco, Double Mystery, Mariner, Master Banker, Master Date, Remember and Secret Hours watch models.

(2) Vanguard

The Vanguard line represents the modern, athletic evolution of the brand’s signature tonneau case. This sporty-elegant wristwatch collection features integrated strap system to ensure harmonious appearance and seamless fitting. The Franck Muller Vanguard line-up offers classic iterations with date or chronograph display, Tourbillon, Grande Date, Skeleton, Yachting series, Camouflage, Crazy Hours, Golf, Gravity and Master Banker. The series also includes multi-complication models like the Tourbillon Minute Repeater and the Worldtimer GMT.

Vanguard collection offers timepieces for ladies and gentlemen. Various case sizes are available. For example, the Franck Muller V45 model represents men’s models with large Vanguard cases. V32 and V38 are smaller cases and used for ladies’ watches. The Vanguard Ladies Series offers Classic, Crazy Hours, Moonphase, Skeleton, Heart Skeleton and Golf displays.

(3) Long Island

The Long Island collection is typically comprised of ladies and gent’s watches with rectangular case. Deriving inspiration from the Art-Deco designs, these timepieces boast rectilinear and arched numerals. The Franck Muller Long Island series includes quartz and mechanical watches with or without date display as well as high-complication models featuring chronograph, perpetual calendar or tourbillon.

(4) Crazy Hours

The Crazy Hours is a signature creation from the luxury watch manufacture. This timepiece can be clearly distinguished from the unorthodox arrangement of numerals on the dial. In this dial configuration, it is impossible to display the correct time with a regular watchmaking movement. So, the Manufacture developed a special mechanical caliber, in which the hour-hand instantly jumps to the corresponding numeral whenever the minute-hand completes its 60-minute journey. The Franck Muller Crazy Hours watch is highly sought-after because of its atypical and playful horological ballet. It is available in Cintrée Curvex, Long Island and Vanguard case versions.

(5) Secret Hours

Just like the Crazy Hours watch, this Franck Muller masterpiece houses a playful horological mechanism named Secret Hours. This self-winding mechanical watch displays the time only when the owner desire to see it. In normal conditions, both the hour and the minute hands remain at 12 o’clock. Whenever the owner operates a push-button, an ingenious mechanism quickly activates both hands for displaying the exact hours and minutes. The hands then automatically retract to 12 o’clock as the push-piece is released.

(6) Casablanca

Popularly known for its sober refinement and enchanting style, the Franck Muller Casablanca is one of the best-selling classic luxury watches of the modern era. This sporty-elegant automatic timepiece boasts an eternal outlook with its refined case profile and large numeral hour markers.

(7) Master Banker

This timepiece is dedicated to global businessmen and world travelers. It features three-time zones, and all of them can be precisely adjusted with the same crown. This brilliant functionally is very useful in everyday life of ambitious entrepreneurs. This Franck Muller watch is available in Cintrée Curvex, Long Island and Vanguard case versions. Equipped with an automatic movement, the Master Banker offers a power reserve of 42 hours. Some models feature additional complications like moon phase or tourbillon.

(8) Master Square

This remarkable series is traditionally comprised of wristwatches featuring Art-Deco inspired square cases. Equipped with self-winding mechanical movements, they boast perfectly harmonized design with elongated Roman numeral hour markers.

(9) Skafander

Skafander is a distinct water-sports watch from Franck Muller. This sporty and innovative model comes with a modern tonneau-case. Boasting a 100-meter water resistance and equipped with a unidirectional inner-rotating dive bezel, this self-winding wristwatch is suitable for recreational diving activities.

(10) Mariner

This outstanding series is inspired by the maritime world. These automatic watches feature Cintrée Curvex case design. Their dials boast large Arabic numerals and seafaring symbols like blue wind rose and compass. The Franck Muller Mariner is available in three-hand with date and chronograph versions.

(11) Round

This collection offers round-shaped wristwatches generously endowed with classic-elegant characteristics. Boasting pure and sober design, these Franck Muller timepieces are available in skeleton and tourbillon versions. Depending upon the model, they feature manual-wound or self-winding movements.

(12) Grand Complications

In this exclusive segment, the brand offers high-complication timepieces like the Aeternitas Mega, the Revolution 3, the Fast Tourbillon, the Giga Tourbillon, the Tourbillon with Perpetual Calendar, and the Tourbillon Minute Repeater Skeleton.