Franck Muller: Theatre of dreams
Emotive, expressive and technically distinguished, Franck Muller’s watches for women are made for show-stopping impact
FANS of Franck Muller will be familiar with the brand’s Master Of Complications title. Though self-proclaimed, the appellation is more than justified.
Ever since the company’s eponymous founder presented his first watches in 1983, Franck Muller consistently lives up to the name, marching out complex mechanical wristwatches that are sensational and groundbreaking in equal measure.
In the decades that Franck Muller has wowed aficionados with brain-melting tourbillons, minute repeaters and grand complications – highly technical watches often considered to be the preserve of male collectors – the brand has also been diligently courting women connoisseurs.
While unabashedly feminine, these watches are just as esteemed as the men’s offerings, and certainly not short on mechanical sophistication.
As one can imagine, Franck Muller’s ladies’ watches brim with flamboyance and substance from the inside out. Whether it is an evocative complication from the iconic Cintree Curvex range, a gem-studded jewellery watch from the Round collection, or an exquisitely decorated skeleton watch from the latest Vanguard collection, Franck Muller guarantees maximum wrist presence.
Here are three hot, red carpet-worthy recommendations that will elevate your get-up and horological stature.
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Vanguard Rose Skeleton Black Diamonds
Bearing seductive rose motifs framed by sparkling black diamonds, the Vanguard Rose Skeleton Black Diamonds feels like a tango on the wrist.
Introduced in 2015, the Vanguard is a dynamic take on Franck Muller’s iconic Cintree Curvex collection.
Like the Cintree Curvex, the Vanguard is distinguished by a tonneau-shaped case.
However, the latter sports a more substantial profile, as well as pronounced curves and a youthful aesthetic.
The Vanguard is an amped-up version of the classically inspired Cintree Curvex, if you will, and a perfect canvas for this enigmatic and artful rose-themed model.
The Vanguard Rose Skeleton Black Diamonds only tells the time, but does so with captivating ostentation.
Set with 422 black brilliant-cut diamonds, the black PVD-treated white gold case immediately grabs one’s attention.
Elsewhere, the hour and minute hands are surrounded by roses and leaf motifs that are carved out of the plates and bridges of the hand-wound movement – itself a slim but powerful mechanical engine that offers four days of power reserve.
The rose motifs feature hand-painted enamel varnish on the petals, painted in white, cherry red, lime green, pink or all-black, a boutique exclusive version.
Paired with similarly coloured gemstones and straps, the Vanguard Rose Skeleton Black Diamonds is a fun and flamboyant watch that demands a big night out.
Vanguard Skeleton Colour Dreams
This is not a ladies-only watch per se. But with women getting increasingly comfortable with wearing plus-sized timepieces these days, coupled with the Vanguard Skeleton Colour Dreams’ irresistible combination of colour, performance and artistry, this is a watch that deserves plenty of wrist time, regardless of gender.
The technique of removing excess metal to reveal as much of the watch’s inner workings as possible is known as skeletonisation.
On the Vanguard Skeleton Colour Dreams, which is housed in a 42.5 mm by 52.7 mm carbon case, Franck Muller gives the traditional decorative technique a contemporary spin with cutting edge-engineering and creativity.
The skeletonised bridges that hold the movement components together are constructed in satin-finished, anodised aluminium, which are then precisely machined so that they can be secured to the curved inner case.
But what really gets the watch going are the striking rainbow hues that sheathe the parts, including red, blue and purple bridges, turquoise wheels, and a canary yellow seconds counter at six o’clock.
While undeniably gorgeous, the watch’s hollowed-out and decorated manual-winding movement has brawn to match its beauty.
The high-performance movement features a twin-barrel set-up that stores up to seven days of power reserve.
Cintree Curvex CX
For watch lovers who love the iconic Cintree Curvex, the latest Cintree Curvex CX offers more of the former model’s signature curvaceous elegance that has endeared it to fans for decades.
The famous tonneau-shaped case – accompanied by a curved sapphire crystal that accords Cintree Curvex watches a smooth, curvilinear silhouette from every angle – continues to be the Cintree Curvex CX’s biggest draw.
On the new version, however, the Curvex case is redesigned, such that the curved sapphire crystal now extends all the way to the bracelet, which opens up the dial.
The new design also allows for the watch strap to be directly integrated into the case, resulting in a more seamless profile.
Additionally, the bezel is now separate from the case, which gives room for two-tone treatments on some models.
Housed in a 36.5 mm by 52.65 mm case – a snug fit for slender wrists – Cintree Curvex CX runs on an automatic movement and comes in a plethora of options, ranging from a model in rose gold that is fully paved with diamonds, to elegant steel models in a variety of dial colours.
Despite the high-wattage glamour of the bejewelled model, it is the latter variants that appear more intriguing, thanks in large part to the stunning, spiral Clous de Paris guilloche pattern on the dial, which was specially created for the Cintree Curvex CX collection.
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