By baring its movements, Franck Muller invites close appreciation of its technical and decorative savoir-faire
It is human nature to be curious. We want to know how a magic trick works, what goes on behind the scenes of a movie set and, for horological buffs, what makes a watch tick. And to the credit of watchmakers, they, too, knew this from the early days—a realisation that, we imagine, led to the birth of skeleton watches.
The earliest skeleton watches appeared in the 1760s. Historical records point to French watchmaker André Charles Caron as the inventor. While most other watchmakers looked to dress up their watches with elaborately decorated dials and cases, Caron wondered how his customers would react if he did the opposite instead.
He decided to strip away the watch’s dial to reveal the movement underneath. Going a step further, he removed all the excess metal from the movement’s parts, leaving only its bare bones. On these ‘skeletonised’ parts, Caron lavished intricate decorations, transforming what was previously hidden in a mechanical watch into a thing of artful beauty.
Today, most esteemed watch brands are bound to have a selection of skeleton watches in their repertoire. As it was centuries ago, modern watchmakers, too, invite you to look into, rather than at a skeleton watch.
At Franck Muller, skeleton watches aren’t simply stripped-down versions of existing models. Though the watches are crafted with time-honoured techniques, they brim with the technical sophistication, vivacity, and resplendence synonymous with the independent brand. Here are four standout creations from Franck Muller that are not afraid to bare it all.
Grand Central Tourbillon Skeleton
Since making its debut in 2021, the Grand Central Tourbillon has become more eye-catching with each new iteration. The new Grand Central Tourbillon Skeleton, however, knocks it out of the park with its combination of theatrical mechanics and high-wattage artistry.
As the name suggests, the tourbillon takes centre stage at the middle of the dial. Its gently rotating cage captivates visually while performing its mechanical duty to nullify the effects of gravity on the regulating system. However, it’s the astounding skeletonised movement that really elevates the watch. Framed by a diamond-studded gold case, the hand-wound 313-part movement has been entirely redesigned and hollowed out, with individual parts meticulously decorated with a variety of finishing techniques from Geneva striping to diamond polishing.
Vanguard Slim Skeleton
Here is a ‘basic’ skeleton watch that doesn’t shy away from ostentation. At a mere 9.1mm in height, this watch will hug your wrist snugly and slide effortlessly under a shirt cuff. But with its dazzling show of precious metal, gemstones, and an attention-grabbing dial, we imagine you’d happily let the Vanguard Slim Skeleton take the limelight.
Available in diamond-set white or red gold, the watch features a creatively executed skeletonised movement. Instead of simply removing metal from the gears and bridges, the watchmakers redesigned the movement parts and fashioned them into hour numerals before setting them with 177 brilliant-cut diamonds. Despite its slenderness, the Vanguard Silm Skeleton will turn up the heat on any outfit—an excellent example of Franck Muller’s knack for elevating simplicity with characteristic showiness.
Vanguard Rose Skeleton Black Diamonds
Marrying sensuality with artisanship, the Vanguard Rose Skeleton Black Diamonds sees Franck Muller incorporating floral motifs and enamel hand-painting techniques in a skeleton watch.
Bold, feminine, effervescent, and powerful all at once, the Vanguard Rose Skeleton Black Diamonds features a black PVD-coated white gold case set with 422 brilliant-cut diamonds, totalling an astounding 3.61 carats. The alluring sparkle of black gemstones frames an even more stunning dial. It showcases a movement with sculpted bridges forming shapes of roses and leaves, which are either hand-painted with coloured enamel or set with brilliant-cut gemstones. At the same time, animated components like a rotating balance wheel peek out from beneath the decoration, reminding us of the impressive movement that is equipped with twin-barrels that offer four days of power reserve.
Vanguard 7 Days Power Reserve Colour Dreams
Psychedelic in spirit and sculptural in style, the Vanguard 7 Days Power Reserve Colour Dreams is a fine example of a modern skeleton watch. While traditional skeleton watches often feature ornamental engravings on their movement parts, modern iterations tend to emphasise architectural form.
Here, the movement bridges are sharp, symmetrical, and machined precisely to fit the curved case design, lending an industrial edge to the timepiece. The movement itself is a workhorse, beating at a steady cadence of 18,800 vph and offering seven days of power reserve. Being a Franck Muller creation, however, a sense of fun is always integral to the creation. We see it in the rainbow-coloured bridges, which are electroplated to achieve the vivid hues, as well as the large but lightweight carbon case measuring 42.50mm wide and 52.7mm long that is sure to demand second looks.
Check out Franck Muller’s range of intriguing skeleton watches at Cortina Watch today.
