Over the last 22 years luxury Swiss watchmaking company Franck Muller has been a dominant force in the lucrative world of horology. The exceptionally talented Franck Muller and Vartan Sirmakes initially founded the brand in 1991. These two extraordinary men have utilized their extensive experience to produce a range of highly complicated timepieces including the phenomenal Long Island Crazy Hours Tourbillon.
On an annual basis Franck Muller strives to push the boundaries of watchmaking by unveiling unbelievably intricate movements at Baselworld. Recently I published an article entitled ‘If Money Was No Object’ which showcased five aspirational watches. One of the timepieces featured was the amazing Aeternitas-mega-4, which lays claim to be the most complicated mechanical watch in the world. This magnificent creation takes over a year to produce and is only made to order. Thankfully their other watches are more accessible for review purposes.
The Long Island Crazy Hours Tourbillon model I was fortunate to try on was the 1300TCH BAG OG. This opulent version is encased in 18k white gold with baguette diamonds and a stunning white alligator strap. My first impression of this sublime timepiece was how luxurious it felt and looked. The watch measures an imposing 59.20 mm x 35.20 mm x 13.30mm and definitely makes a bold statement. Surprisingly for a piece this size it felt very comfortable and lightweight to wear. This is definitely down to the sophisticated design of the elegant rectangular case. Clearly this is a watch for the serious collector and on that basis I suspect it wouldn’t be worn for daily use. I can envisage this wonderful timepiece looking really cool with a white linen suit.
Visually the Long Island Crazy Hours Tourbillon completely defies convention and does as its name suggests. The bold numerals don’t follow the normal sequence and are positioned in a random order. Essentially the hour hand jumps every time the minute hand completes its revolution. Initially I found it hard to get my head around the concept but now applaud its originality. I love the sun-stamped lacquered white dial punctuated with oversized black Arabic numerals and delicate hour minute hands. Even though every element of this exquisite timepiece has been carefully considered, the star of the show has to be the majestic tourbillon. This incredible feature is prominently displayed through a large aperture positioned at 6 o’clock.
To power this astounding watch Frank Muller has devised the highly complex Calibre FM 2001-2HF. This 21 jewel manual-wound mechanical movement comprises 225 components and oscillates at a frequency of 18,000 vibrations per hour. This technical masterpiece has been hand finished and decorated in house using the finest traditional techniques. The Long Island Crazy Hours Tourbillon features jumping hours/minutes and delivers a respectable 60-hour power reserve.
I believe this particular model of the Long Island Crazy Hours Tourbillon was made in seriously limited numbers. In fact the watch is so exclusive there are no marketing images available. The suggested retail price is: $389,500.
http://www.franckmuller.com
