Franck Muller is a watchmaking model that goes its personal method. Whereas Geneva may rework into the proverbial city sq. each April, within the village of Genthod, barely 6km away, Franck Muller’s Domaine du Grand Malagny property presents a spot of bucolic calm and a much less frenetic mode of participating with newly launched timepieces. And on the five-day World Presentation of Haute Horlogerie held on the property, there was loads to see and admire, beginning with greater than 20 new references throughout Franck Muller’s most distinguished collections – together with Vanguard, Lengthy Island, Spherical, Cintrée Curvex, and Curvex CX – in addition to the brand new Imperium silhouette. Collectively, the novelties solidify the model’s fame because the Grasp of Problems and reveal its audacious technical and design philosophy.
A robust contender for probably the most arresting timepiece on show was the Vanguard Aero Revolution 3 Skeleton (learn extra elsewhere on this situation, particularly the function on skeletonised and openworked watches). Notable for its daring development, the 43.4mm by 52.1mm watch encompasses a absolutely see-through 2.4mm-thick tonneau case that homes the Revolution 3 tri- axial tourbillon, a complication pioneered by the model, involving three concentric cages every rotating on a definite axis and with its personal interval of rotation. In a primary for Franck Muller’s timepieces, the motion (right here the in-house MVT FM 2031-VS skeletonised calibre, with 10 days of energy reserve from two barrels) is affixed on to the caseback, a design alternative that necessitated a reconfiguration of the bridges, barrels and kit practice for improved stability and visible readability.
Equally enigmatic is the Grasp Jumper Skeleton that’s now provided in each the Curvex CX case form and within the Lengthy Island Evolution case form (learn extra in French Maisons Lead the Revival of the Leaping-Hour Watch. The triple- leaping complication, one other Franck Muller invention, debuted in 2024, and helps three synchronised leaping indications: for the hour, minutes and date (with their respective apertures helpfully labelled), displayed throughout 5 discs shifting in a rigorously choreographed sequence that’s intuitive, legible and up to date.
The bevy of 2026 novelties additionally included a quantity that introduced contemporary views to their predecessors from final 12 months. The most recent expression of Franck Muller’s Thriller idea, with standard watch palms changed by concentric rotating discs, the Spherical Triple Thriller rapidly chases its debut in 2025 with new interpretations that develop on the visible vocabulary of including a 3rd disc to mark the seconds and three triangle-cut treasured gems appearing as pointers or indicators. The MVD 2800-TMY self-winding motion drives all three independently rotating discs, backed up by 42 hours of energy reserve.
Ample alternatives for adornment give this 12 months’s Spherical Triple Thriller novelties artistic vary. The place final 12 months spherical diamonds lined the Spherical Triple Thriller’s case and dial, this 12 months the Spherical Triple Thriller explores totally different mixtures of baguette-cut gems, gems of numerous colors, and openworked design. The Baguette execution is invisibly set with 48 baguette- minimize diamonds on the case and one other 139 on the dial. The Rainbow contains 360 round-cut sapphires, rubies, amethysts and tsavorites organized in a steady gradient, which traces up completely at 10:10, plus a variation of this design utilizing baguette-cut variations of the identical colored gems set invisibly to spotlight the purity of the gem stones. The Skeleton showcases the structure of the motion, with bridges, gears and levers completed to reinforce visible lightness. The gasket on the again is omitted to afford a view of the motion from one other perspective, whereas the motion is supported by a totally clear sapphire casing ring machined from a stable block of artificial sapphire. A case set with 120 brilliant- minimize diamonds, plus the choice of brilliant-cut diamonds adorning the skeletonised hour and minute discs, spotlight the lightness of the development.
The brand new Curvex CX Grand Central Tourbillon Baguette has its rose-gold tonneau case and dial totally invisible-set with baguette-cut diamonds totalling 25.22ct (and with the diamond-set bracelet included, that brings the watch’s complete diamond weight to 49.79ct), together with a diamond-set internal bezel, and edge-to-edge sapphire crystal. The tip result’s a wristwatch that seems to be made fully with out metals, and visually centered on the tourbillon that sits on the coronary heart of the composition. It might appear to be a easy, easy transfer to shift the tourbillon to the center, nevertheless it truly requires rethinking the gear practice structure altogether in addition to the time show, since a traditional handset managed by a central pinion can now not be used. That is resolved by having the hour and minute indicators stacked across the tourbillon cage, whose bridge signifies the seconds by its personal rotation. The MVT FM CX 36T-CTR in-house self-winding motion, with an off-centre micro-rotor and 4 days of energy reserve, underpins the entire operation.
Additionally a continuation of a design set in movement in 2025, the brand new Vanguard Girl Loopy Hours Jisbar restricted version succeeds the inaugural collaboration between Franck Muller and the French up to date artist Jean-Baptiste Launay, who goes by Jisbar and is understood for his road artwork and pop artwork, in addition to multiformat collaborations spanning style, vehicles and even residence home equipment. The Vanguard Loopy Hours Jisbar of 2025 got here in a case product of carbon, stainless-steel, titanium, black titanium, or rose gold, that includes Jisbar’s graffiti-inspired tackle every numeral, in a extra assertive V43 case, and a black dial with an identical strap. Now, the Vanguard Girl Loopy Hours Jisbar encompasses a reimagined set of a dozen numerals, 32mm by 42.3mm circumstances in rose gold or stainless-steel, a dial handled with 25 layers of white lacquer for a wealthy shiny impact, a closed caseback engraved with Jisbar’s signature, and a white strap of alligator leather-based and rubber. Franck Muller’s emblematic Loopy Hours is unquestionably the perfect counterpart to Jisbar’s irreverent artwork fashion, by matching its playful vitality with the seemingly random motion of the hour hand. Studying the numerals presents its personal challenges, involving elimination, artistic interpretation, and even some maths – the sq. root of 25 being positioned on the standard 9 o’clock place is a pleasant brainteaser, including a complete different layer of that means to the phrase ‘complication’.
This story was first seen as a part of the WOW #84 Imaginative and prescient 2026 situation.
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