Say the words Franck Muller, and people immediately think of the watchmaker’s emblematic tonneau-shaped watches. It is, after all, a brand signature that the Genthod Manufacture has worked to its advantage: Thanks to the distinctive shape, Franck Muller’s timepieces not only dazzle both visually and technically, they also immediately stand out from the rest of the crowd with a single glance.
Yet, as any fan knows, Franck Muller is not a brand that will be easily confined to any categorical box. It is famed for being as multifaceted as it is innovative, with whimsical, sophisticated creations lined up alongside fierce avant-garde designs—but always with a level of technicality that impresses.
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The watchmaker’s Round collection exemplifies this latter tenet with the greatest respect for the purest watchmaking traditions. Designed to be the modern heirlooms of tomorrow, the timepieces found here—which range from simple manual-wind or automatic mechanical movements, to major complications such as tourbillons and perpetual calendars—bear the hallmarks of Franck Muller’s distinct brand of classic elegance, not least in the form of its newest High Jewellery timepiece, exclusive to the Asia-Pacific region.
Introducing a new size of 31mm to the collection’s existing 39mm and 42mm editions, the new Round Skeleton Baguette presents the faultless marriage of haute joaillerie and haute horlogerie. It melds the art of gemsetting with the revered art of skeletonisation, which sees the watch’s components being reduced to its most essential parts for an open-face design that draws attention to its inner workings.
On the bezel are 60 (or 4.61 carats) baguette-cut diamonds or precious stones that have been set by hand using the invisible setting. This technique requires masterful skills as minute grooves are first
painstakingly carved into the sides of the stones before they are slid through the rails found inside
the bezel frame and perfectly aligned.
These rectangular-shaped gems are then complemented with a further 156 brilliant-cut diamonds (0.88 carats) on the side of the bezel and case.
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The gems work perfectly to throw light on the watch’s skeletonised in-house movement within. Whittling down the timepiece’s mainplate and the bridges down to the bare minimum, the watch offers a visual spectacle that comes from seeing its 137 components working in perfect harmony.
This manual-wind creation, and its promise of an impressive 4-day power reserve, captivates with its juxtaposition of its minimalist skeletonised movement and its maximalist high-octane gems.
To ensure a breadth of options, this high jewellery timepiece is available in white or rose gold, with a choice of baguette-cut rubies, emeralds, blue sapphires, diamonds, or graduated, rainbow-hued precious stones. Because what’s life without options? Especially ones as decadent as these.