History of Franck Muller

The name Franck Muller may not mean much to the average person, but to watch collectors, it is one that is well established and found in collections among Rolex, Cartier, and Patek Philippe to name but a few. The major difference between Franck Muller and the brands above, is the age of the company. The Founder and namesake of Franck Muller was born in 1958, decades after Rolex started to produce watches. It was not until 1983 that Muller produced his first wristwatches after his studies at the Geneva School of Watch Making. Muller was fascinated with the mechanics of watchmaking and the intricacies that quite literally made them tick.

Franck Muller watches have the benefit of being unique, and the ability to fulfill the demands of watch collectors looking for interesting and stand-out timepieces. Muller became intrigued with the Tourbillon mechanism, a 200 year old contribution to the accuracy of time keeping, and created the first ever Tourbillon that was visible from the front. In 1992, Muller introduced the concept of a tonneau case, a curved body for the head of the watch which had never been seen on the market before. The numbers on the face of his watches are also unique in shape, as they must conform to the curvature of the tonneau so as not to break the flowing lines and soft shapes.

The Franck Muller Casablanca wristwatch was inspired by the 1942 film of the same name starring Humphrey Bogart Ingrid Bergman. The classicism and elegance, along with the uniqueness of the watch is reflective of the film. The Casablanca is a classic from the brand, with large Arabic numerals and barrel shaped case, this watch is easily spotted by any horologist, and would make a perfect addition to any collection.

                                   Lot 397, June 26th 2024