The independent Swiss watchmaker Franck Muller has been a popular brand in the Malaysian horological community for some time now, with its first standalone boutique opening here in 2021. That presence has been solidified with a grand new storefront, occupying a prime location on Level 2 of Pavilion Kuala Lumpur—an expansive one at that, at 1,887sqft. The styling is modern and luxe, with warm tones and reflective surfaces suggesting the precious metals and stones that the brand is known for. Next to its wide array of current offerings, a display wall features some of Franck Muller’s greatest hits—the likes of Crazy Hours, Giga Tourbillon, and Thunderbolt Tourbillon, all of which are testaments to why the brand is called ‘master of complications’. A sequestered private bar is reserved for collectors and other VIPs. Outside, a floor-to-ceiling curved display showcases the brand’s bold and typically highly technical offerings—an attention-grabbing display at one of the mall’s major thoroughfares.
“Malaysia has always been an important market for Franck Muller. I think Malaysians appreciate the brand for what it is—for the complications, for the designs, the crazy colours and the crazy numbers,” says Franck Muller CEO Nicholas Rudaz. “And it was just the right opportunity at the right time with Sincere Fine Watches to do this fantastic new shop. It’s an evolution from the previous set up here in Malaysia, and we’re very happy with it.
“The brand has always been historically very, very popular in Asia, especially Southeast Asia and Japan. These are our biggest markets. So it’s only appropriate to have such a beautiful setup here,” Rudaz continues. “And with our close partnership with Sincere, we’ve been developing the brand locally, very much so.” He adds that as an independently owned watchmaker, Franck Muller has the freedom and flexibility to focus on product and creativity, and that he is content to leave local marketing and related activities to trusted partners such as Sincere Fine Watches. “Sincere knows their markets very well. They give us the right information and the right ideas to develop the right projects for this market,” he says. “They do a fantastic job in the area. And we’re very successful with them.
“I think Asians like something a little bit different, something strikingly different like Franck Muller—not only just in the pure aesthetics, but of course in the complications as well,” Rudaz says. “Franck Muller has always been outstanding in its complications. Asians appreciate these kinds of complications, and that’s why they feel comfortable wearing a Franck Muller.”
