Franck Muller Grand Central Tourbillon: A Step Above

The Franck Muller’s Grand Central Tourbillon explores a rare tourbillon variant in the manufacture’s signature style

Tourbillons have long been a symbol of haute horlogerie. In modern wristwatches, however, these devices don’t quite serve their original purpose of counteracting gravity’s effects on the balance’s precision and accuracy. Instead, tourbillons function more as a demonstration of watchmaking savoir faire—as well as a source of much visual interest. As they become more common, different variants have been developed, from multi-axial tourbillons and their complicated dances to movements with multiple tourbillons.

Don't miss: Lust List: Why We’re Crushing on Louis Vuitton’s New Tambour Slim Vivienne Jumping Hours

Above Grand Central Tourbillon CX 36

Among these variations on the theme, the central tourbillon remains relatively rare. It is also a far more recent development that was only patented in 1995, despite the tourbillon’s long history dating back to 1801. This variant is uncommon largely due to technical reasons. For a start, putting the tourbillon in the middle of the dial takes up space, which requires the movement’s architecture to be revised. This extends to a rearrangement of the gear train, of course, including the motion work that holds (and turns) the hands to display the time.

The technical hurdles to overcome in a central tourbillon are not trivial. Franck Muller has, however, gone ahead to offer its take on this concept last year with the Grand Central Tourbillon in an updated Cintrée Curvex CX case. The brand has followed up with a smaller model this year to suit an even wider range of wrist sizes for connoisseurs.

In case you missed it: A Special Evening With Tatler and Franck Muller's CEO Nicholas Rudaz

Above Grand Central Tourbillon CX 36

As its name suggests, the new Grand Central Tourbillon CX 36 clocks in at 36mm for its case. This is a fair bit smaller than its predecessor’s 40mm, but the watch wears larger than its dimensions would suggest due to its long lugs.

Within this curved case, Franck Muller has fitted a self-winding movement with the eponymous central tourbillon. To accommodate this, the minute and hour hands are placed on the periphery of the tourbillon instead, thus forming a stack of co-axial displays. These are in turn framed by the textured dial, which sports a spiralling guilloché pattern reminiscent of Clous de Paris, while also alluding to the tourbillon’s constant pirouette on the dial, of course.

Above The central tourbillon with the hands on its periphery

The icing on the cake here is the curved sapphire crystal on the watch. Its edge-to-edge design, which stretches from the top lugs to the bottom lugs, is a departure from the typical watch construction that involves a bezel. With this detail, the Grand Central Tourbillon CX 36 also offers an expansive, unrestricted view of the dial, while presenting an updated aesthetic to Franck Muller’s original Cintrée Curvex case.

Above Grand Central Tourbillon CX 36

With the Grand Central Tourbillon, Franck Muller has created something truly different in a crowded field of tourbillon watches. This is but the latest chapter for the brand, which has long established itself as a disruptor in the industry—Franck Muller the watchmaker was the first to display the tourbillon on the dial side of the watch, after all.

The Grand Central Tourbillon CX 36 will be available in several different references with cases in rose gold, white gold, or carbon. Diamond-set variants are also available for the references in gold cases.

NOW READ

Singaporean Rapper Yung Raja on Working With Tudor

Franck Muller’s Vanguard Casablanca Marks the Return of a Beloved Classic

Watches & Wonders 2022: Rolex Reaches for the Sky With 2 New Oyster Perpetual Watches

Topics

franck muller Grand Central Tourbillon

Tatler Asia

Tourbillon Watches Aren’t All Equal and This One Shows Why