About Franck Muller
Franck Muller is among the world’s finest and most complex watchmaking manufacturers. Vartan Sirmakes and Franck Muller formed the marque in Geneva with the aim of making exclusive timepieces with complicated movements and exclusive designs. It established itself as one of the best Swiss watchmakers, thanks to its strong in-house capabilities in a variety of fields of Haute Horlogerie.
The History of Franck Muller
Franck Muller was born on July 11th, 1958, in Switzerland, to an Italian mother and a Swiss father. He grew up in a multicultural community and inherited both innovation and discipline, and developed an increasing interest in mechanical devices from a young age. After four years of outstanding achievements at the Geneva School of Watchmaking, he quickly established a reputation. He was endowed with an exceptional technical ability where auction houses and collectors from all over the world sent him their prized possessions for restoration.
He began designing one-of-a-kind timepieces under his own name after a few years in the industry. Franck Muller decided to devote his work to the development of unique timepieces, particularly wristwatches, that offer the same level of technical achievement as pocket watches in order to change the situation (‘the quartz crisis’). Later, he met Vartan Sirmakes, who challenged him to transform a small-scale operation into the prestigious brand and business that was officially founded in 1992.
About Franck Muller’s Collections
Franck Muller has differentiated itself not only through the outstanding quality of its models, but also through the establishment of its own watch fair, the WPHH – World Presentation of Haute Horlogerie, where it demonstrated its pioneering status as an independent brand. Notably, the brand founded the tonneau shaped case that has its sapphire glass crystal curved on both the vertical and horizontal axis, a feat in terms of production. Every single part and movement is then made to accommodate the extreme curvature of the brand’s iconic shape.
The concept of time telling is anything but traditional at Franck Muller. In 2003, Franck proposed a completely new approach to the concept of time. ‘Crazy Hours’ declared freedom from the existing order of how time is told and established a new ideology with its introduction. The exceptional timepiece shows numerals in complete disarray while maintaining perfect time with its jumping hour mechanism, showcasing an order within the “chaos”. This mid complication quickly became one of Franck Muller’s most recognizable and iconic timepiece collections, and is such an emotional piece.
Franck Muller also unveiled the dazzling masterpiece – the Aeternitas Mega, in 2007, after 5 years of research and development. Titled as one of the most complicated watches in the world, this one-of-a-kind piece pushed the boundaries of the tradition of fine watchmaking. The Aeternitas Mega is a marvel of micro-mechanics and watchmaking know-how, with 36 complications and 1,483 components. In 2011, Franck Muller unveiled the Giga Tourbillon, the world’s first wristwatch with the world’s largest tourbillon. This Tourbillon is colossal in size. Its cage measures 20 mm in diameter and fills half of the watch, making it twice as large as a typical tourbillon. This one-of-a-kind achievement was bound by several technological difficulties, and is yet another display of the workshop’s outstanding in-house capabilities.
The brand continues to astound present day with launches of bold and daring pieces such as the Skafander, the Vanguard Gravity Skeleton, and the Vanguard Revolution 3 Skeleton, proving once again that the marque is always positioning itself to be in the forefront of the world of fine Swiss Watchmaking.
Awards and Accolades
Franck Muller was awarded the first prize of the Genève Watchmaking Grand Prix in October 2002. This prestigious award was given in honor of the watchmaker’s outstanding talent and the immense expertise of the manufacturer.