The pursuit of advanced craftsmanship has been a cornerstone of Franck Muller’s philosophy, evident not only in the intricate complications of its timepieces but also the elaborate construction of its cases and dials, sharp gem-setting techniques and the selection of premium materials. This progressive approach persisted through to the latest iteration of the Long Island case, which marked a signification transition. Originally appearing in 2000 as a three-hand watch, the Long Island features a distinctive rounded rectangular case, characterised by its gentle curves, short lugs and arched numerals. Hugely inspired by the Art Deco movement, this design became a favourite among discerning collectors.
This year, Franck Muller is bringing forth a modern evolution of Long Island with three new expressions. The new adaptation retains the original silhouette, along with deconstructions on refining proportions and accentuating its curves, angles and fine lines. In comparison with its predecessor, the new case integrates an additional inner case to secure the shaped movements that power the watch—a multi-layered construction that allows the sapphire crystal protecting the watch display to be affixed to the flange without any noticeable screws. This aluminium inner case is anodised in a pine green hue, while the titanium outer case receives a black PVD treatment with satin brushing. These timepieces are matched with fine alligator leather straps in matte black, along with contrasting stitching and edges in the same pine green shade.
Leading this collection is the Long Island Evolution Master Jumper (RM438,400), with a triple jumping mechanism illustrating hours, minutes and date numerically. An inner sapphire crystal is added at the level of the inner bezel, embedding three-dimensional depth to the watch. This inclusion serves as a platform for essential text elements and directly incorporates frames for its three apertures—enabling movement to remain open-worked, while also highlighting technical indications. Although jumping hour watches date back to the 19th century, a complete numerical depiction of time in a machinal watch only emerged in 2009. The Master Jumper takes this further with a novel vertical and symmetrical jumping format, with three windows arranged in a column down the middle of the case.
In the current landscape of haute horlogerie, the tourbillon is regarded as the epitome of timekeeping design, and Franck Muller has crafted numerous variations of tourbillons for its wristwatches since its inception. Now, the sleek and present-day interpretation of the Long Island Evolution Giga Tourbillon (RM1,030,900) movement spotlights a 20mm cage, along with an all-black treatment that complements the titanium case. This expansive tourbillon cage occupies more than half of the entire movement, and is supported by a three-pointed bridge that mirrors the bridges of the barrels holding four mainsprings in total—offering a generous four-day power reserve presented between them. Two hands filled with Super-LumiNova afterglow pigments indicate the hours and minutes.
Completing this collection is the Long Island Evolution 7 Days Power Reserve (RM200,300), a three-hand model driven by a precise oscillator operating at a steady 18,000vph and a hand-wound FM 1745 calibre in a fully skeletonised composition. The movement’s bridges are completely uncovered to enhance visibility through the sapphire crystal, with a small seconds counter positioned at the bottom of the display that is balanced with a large mainspring above. This watch also includes partially revealed gear trains, winding gears and luminous Arabic hour numerals to ensure clear chronometry when viewed under low light conditions.
The Franck Muller Long Island Evolution collection is now available for viewing and purchase at Franck Muller’s Malaysia flagship store in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.
