Turning 30 may be regarded as an important milestone for us humans as it can be seen as a benchmark of how much we’ve achieved in young adulthood. When placed in perspective, certain parallels can be drawn between a human and watch brand, especially when one begins to fathom the idea that Franck Muller is turning 30 next year.

Pieces launched during Franck Muller’s early days such as the Master Banker, Crazy Hours and Aeternitas highlight an adolescent’s rebellious streak. The Vanguard was the mark of a confident young adult and as Franck Muller prepares to celebrate its anniversary, it releases the Grand Central Tourbillon to signify mature adulthood.

The Cintrée Curvex has been in the DNA of Franck Muller almost from the start, capturing audiences with its sensuous shape and curves. A slight tweak to the emblematic design sees the Grand Central Tourbillon sport a new sapphire crystal design that spans the entirety of the case, from lug to lug. This is made possible by an innovative invisible bezel design.

Beneath it lies the large-scale 60-second tourbillon, positioned sweetly in the middle of the dial. No official measurements of the tourbillon cage were provided but it takes a considerable amount of dial real estate as seen in images, though probably not as large as the Giga Tourbillon. A little less obvious is the elevation of the complication made possible by a single bridge. Apart from the grand spectacle it provides, it breaks new ground as the first central tourbillon to be set in a tonneau case. Central tourbillons are quite rare besides, being a small subset of the already niche tourbillon wristwatch.

The redesigned calibre allows for the watch hands to be seamlessly integrated into the periphery of the tourbillon cage and not obscure the subtle dial details. Guilloche spreads across the dial, coated with 20 layers of lacquer for a distinctive glint. Franck Muller’s signature oversized art deco indices make an appearance as well. The Grand Central Tourbillon is not all just beauty as its automatic MVT FM CX 40T-CTR calibre with four days power reserve and off-centre micro rotor is equally impressive — form watches with automatic movements are also quite rare, and so are automatic tourbillon calibres.

Joining in the celebration is the Franck Muller Skafander 2021 novelty that will be available for preview between 17 June and 1 July at the newly opened Franck Muller boutique located at Capitol Singapore, along with Cortina Watch boutiques at Paragon, Mandarin Gallery, and Raffles City. The Geneva brand was once exclusive to Sincere Watch, which has since been acquired by Cortina Holdings Limited. Thanks to this, Cortina is now the distributor of Franck Muller in 12 Asian countries.

Movement Automatic in-house calibre MVT FM CX 40T-CTR; Four-day power reserve

Case 40.16 mm x 58.70 mm in white gold, rose gold or titanium; water-resistant to 30m

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