The Franck Muller Wristwatch Company History - Interwatches.com News

Friday 23 April, 2010 - 09:40 AM EDT

The Franck Muller Wristwatch Company History

The perfectly well called "watchmaking genius" story.

Born in Switzerland on July 11th 1958, of an Italian mother and a Swiss father, Franck Muller was raised in a multicultural environment. It does not take long before the young Franck starts to disassemble all the machines in the house to study them. As an adolescent, he collects antiques astrological instruments that he buys at a market.
 
He started studying at a famous Geneva School of Watchmaking in 1981. After 4 years of remarkable studies, he receives the highest distinction and prizes. He then created his own workshop instead of joining a brand or a group of watchmakers. It does not take long before his reputation is made: gifted by exception technical talent, auction houses and collectors from all over the world send him their treasures for restoration.
 After a few years in this field, he starts the creation of unique timepieces under his own name. He decided to devote his work to the realization of unique timepieces, which offer the same level of technical feats as those presented in pocket watches.
In 1983, after months of research and micro-mechanical tests, Franck Muller is proud to present his first wristwatches. They all present a complicated movement that has been entirely created by him. Since 1983, Franck Muller has been unveiling a World Premiere once a year, like: the gifted watchmaker reveals his invention, may it be a Tourbillon (1983), a Tourbillon with jumping hours (1986), a Tourbillon with Minute Repeater (1987), an inverted Tourbillon with Minute Repeater and Perpetual Calendar (1989), etc…



In 1992 he is called "watchmaking genius" by his peers when having the privilege of seeing one of his models, which granted the exclusive title of "most complicated wristwatch in the world". This unique timepiece is forever in the history of Fine Watchmaking: the Grande and Petite Sonnerie, Minute Repeater for the hours, quarters and minutes, a Perpetual Calendar programmed to the year 2100 with date, day of the week, month and monthly retrograde equation, leap-year cycle, 24-hour moon phase indicator, indicator of the internal temperature of the mechanism.
 1992 is also a milestone since he finally establishes his own company: Franck Muller Geneve in a village called Genthod where he finds the inspiration needed to promote his future creations.



1995 Franck Muller is established in Genthod in a turn of the XIX century mansion that is restored to become the marvellous headquarters of this promising brand.
In 1998, Franck Muller surpasses the collector's wildest dream by adding to the 1992 and 1995 World Premieres a Chronograph a 60-minutes counter and power reserve indicators to the striking-mechanism and movement. This exceptional piece is without delay recognized as the most complicated wristwatch of the world.
1998 the first World Presentation of Haute Horology is organized. This exhibition is dedicated to the very best of this industry, namely the craft of the finest timepieces. The WHPP, greeted with success form its very first edition (2,800 visitors in 1998), has had an international reach ever since.
1999, one of the main priorities of the brand is to remain independent. Independence of creation, of innovation, of strategy, the brand is proud to use all means to respond to one unique criterion: the creation of exceptional timepieces.
April 1999, the 2nd edition of the WPHH is held on the production site in Genthod and is visited by more than 3500 people.



2001 is symbolized by the official inauguration of the Franck Muller Watchland, which unifies on the same place all the steps of production of a watch: design, creation, engineering, study and development, prototypes, movements, stamping, watchmaking, casing, after sales department, etc... Open to the public by appointment, visitors from all over the world come to visit it as visitors have the liberty of visiting all the steps involved in the process of the making of a watch.
 On March 31st 2001, celebrities from all over the world, clients, and friends, are invited to the Franck Muller Watchland Official Inauguration: cocktail and exclusive dinner gala; fashion show; private concert with world famous singer Charles Aznavour; followed by a dance party until the end of the night with the hippest Paris DJ's.
 2001 the year of the creation of the first jewellery collections by Franck Muller. After many months of studies and creation, Franck Muller presents two jewellery collections that respect in all points the quality, originality, unique design of watches.





2002: Tenth Anniversary of the company Franck Muller Geneve. In April, the 5th edition of the W.P.H.H. is held on the premises of the Frank Muller Watchland. To mark this anniversary, Frank Muller reveals an outstanding wristwatch: The Tourbillon Revolution. This amazing time piece is the result of many years of research and development. Its mechanical conception is simply unique. Once again, Franck Muller is granted the title of all time "Master of complication".



In October 2002,Franck Muller Geneve is granted the first prize, men's category, of the Geneve Watch Making Grand Prix. This exclusive prize confirms the watchmaker's exceptional talent.
For more than the last seventeen years now, D. Franck Muller has been a major driving force and influence in today's culture of fine art and science with regards to watch making. Franck Muller has spent more than twenty years of dedication to perfection, consistently and systematically working and reworking the finer aspects of the craft according to his own sensibility and deductions.







CHECK OUT!

Franck Muller Watches at Interwatches!



Source:

[ Franck Muller Story, from Franck Muller's Official Website ]


Possible Related Links:

[ Frank Muller's Official Website ]

This post has 0 comments. Read or post comments.