Franck Muller

Born in Switzerland on July 11th 1958, of an Italian mother and a Swiss father, Franck Muller was raised in a multicultural environment. From a very early age, he develops a growing interest for all mechanical devices. It does not take long before the young Franck starts to disassemble all the machines in the house to study their ""hearts"". During his teens, he collects antique astrological instruments that he buys at the flea market. Mechanics and time, an equation reveals itself naturally: it is Time to which he is going to devote himself.He enters the famous Geneva School of Watch making in 1981. After 4 years of remarkable studies, he receives the highest distinction and prizes. Faithful to his independence of state and mind, he chooses the most difficult path: to create 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. Throughout his studies and first years as a watch restorer, Franck Muller comes to a conclusion regarding the horology world: since XIXth century, few technical inventions have been developed and applied to wristwatches. Willing to change this situation, he decides to devote his work to the realization of unique timepieces, wristwatches to be specific, which offer the same level of technical feats as those presented in pocket watches. This prerogative becomes a goal that the young entrepreneur will always hold at hearth. 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.As of 1983, Franck Muller unveils a World Premiere once a year: 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, the man that is now called by his peers the ""watchmaking genius"" has the privilege to see one of his models granted the exclusive title of ""most complicated wristwatch in the world"". This unique timepiece is forever in the history of Fine Watchmaking for never before has such a complicated wristwatch been made: 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 it is then that the talented entrepreneur establishes his own company, namely Franck Muller Geneve. Nestled in a village called Genthod, in the neighbouring countryside of Geneva, he finds, in this enchanting and poetic environment, the inspiration that will promote his creations. The extreme serenity and peacefulness of these surroundings reflect the quest of harmony and perfection to which the creator aspires. 1995 symbolizes an important step in the history of Franck Muller: a new institutional and production site is inaugurated. Remaining faithful to his wish to evolve in a preserved environment, it is established in the very same village where he started his activity in 1983, namely Genthod. Only this time, it is a turn of the XIX century mansion that is restored to become, in just a few months, the marvelous headquarters of this promising brand.In 1998, Franck Muller once again surpasses collector's wildest dream: he adds to the 1992 and 1995 World Premieres a Chronograph with a 60-minutes counter and power reserve indicators to the striking-mechanism and movement. This exceptional piece is immediately recognized as the most complicated wristwatch of the world. 1998 is also the year that marks the beginning of the vast architectural expansion of the company. Watchland, an extraordinary concept, will enable to concentrate on the same property all the various stages of the making of a watch: conception, design, creation, prototype, research and development, stamping, assembling, etc... Watchland, a one of a kind site will be devoted to the world of watches. Not only will it allow to perpetuate the craftsmanship and tradition of watchmaking, it will also enable the public to discover this remarkable field since it will be entirely open to everyone.