The last Geneva "cabinotier" Franck Muller Three virtues

Franck Muller is a watchmaker who began making watches in 1979. Since 95, he has developed Watchland, located on the outskirts of Geneva, into his headquarters and workshop. Franck Muller, a watch brand founded in 92, established an integrated production system in 2005, but it was not until 18 that the entire production was completed. Watchland, whose full details have finally been revealed, is a "cabinotier" beyond imagination.

Inside the Latest FRANCK MULLER WATCHLAND

　It goes without saying that Franck Muller is an outstanding watchmaker. He not only established the profession of "independent watchmaker," but also created his own unique style and eventually elevated Franck Muller to a luxury watch brand. This was supported by Watchland, the company's headquarters and workshop.

　Founded in 1992, Franck Muller has been developing Watchland, which opened in 95, into a major manufacture. However, neither Franck Muller himself nor the brand itself have been proactive in revealing its true nature. This is likely because they did not want to reveal it in an incomplete state. However, the construction, which some in the media described as "never-ending," finally came to a close in 2018, and the entirety of Watchland was finally unveiled.

The case polishing process. The cases are made in the company's own factory in the Vallée de Joux, and polished at Watchland. According to Martin Manuel, the person in charge, "It takes at least six years of experience to polish a case."

The most surprising thing about Watchland was the manufacturing process of the screws. These are the screws that secure the movement to the case. Almost all parts, including the gears and crowns, are manufactured in-house.

　Franck Muller's unique character as a watchmaker, or in other words its virtues, can be summed up in three points: its in-house movements, including tourbillons; its unique design, symbolized by the Tonneau Curvex; and the sophisticated fusion of the two. Looking at Watchland's production system, it's clear that this maison has continued to create unique timepieces. Founded in 1992 with just three employees, Watchland now employs a staff of 500.

A major feature of in-house movements is the balance wheel with a balance screw. The work of installing the balance screw and removing any unbalanced weight is also done at Watchland. It's no wonder that it takes up to 30 minutes to assemble one.

The final step in the chamfering process is using felt. Two pieces of leather, beech wood, and felt are used to give the edges a mirror finish. In some cases, a file is also used to smooth the edges.

　The reason for this expansion is that the company now handles everything from design to the manufacture and assembly of its own movements, as well as the production of prototype exteriors. Moreover, the "purity" of the work is extremely high. For example, screws. While many manufacturers purchase them from suppliers, Franck Muller makes them in-house. Both the balance wheel and the regulation screws are manufactured in-house, and even the hairspring is wound in-house, making Watchland a rare manufacturer even in Switzerland.

This is the process of adjusting the rising curve of the winding balance spring. The person performing this work is an adjuster who has worked on balance springs at a famous Geneva watch brand. Adjusters with specialized training are now rare.

This is a very unusual process. After attaching the in-house hairspring, the end is cut off to match the balance wheel. It is thanks to this production system that there are 15 different types of balance wheels.

　Furthermore, the balance springs used in the in-house movements are also made by Franck Muller (although the balance spring manufacturing department is located elsewhere). Looking at the process, we see that they not only wind the balance springs, but also cut them one by one. Moreover, when assembling the balance wheel, they not only assemble the parts but also add finishing touches. It takes 15 minutes to work on the balance spring and 30 minutes to assemble the balance wheel. It would probably be faster to purchase from another company, but Franck Muller has 15 different types of balance wheels. It makes sense that they chose to manufacture their own balance wheels.

　The company is well-equipped, with 18 CNC machine tools and six EDM machines in the parts manufacturing building. However, what really stands out here is the quality of the staff and their traditional methods. In the parts manufacturing department, one staff member is responsible for everything from machine programming to cutting. In the watch industry, where division of labor is becoming more prevalent, it is rare for a manufacturer to have one staff member handle such a wide range of tasks.

　As a result, Watchland has become a place where talented staff stay for long periods of time. It is not uncommon for staff to stay for 10 or 20 years, and Martin Manuel, head of the exterior polishing department, has spent his entire career exclusively at Franck Muller. Moreover, many of these staff members come from top Swiss watchmakers. When asked why they moved to Watchland, they replied, "Because I can do a variety of jobs and the environment is good."

　The finishing department gives an even more traditional feel to watchmaking. Two discs are used for polishing: one is made of leather, one is made of beechwood, and the other is made of finishing felt. Using these tools, it takes about four hours to smooth the edge of a tourbillon bridge, for example. It is said that there are 13 staff members just working on chamfering, so it is quite a large-scale operation.

　High-quality staff and classic watchmaking. These two points are strongly apparent in the tourbillon assembly workshop. There are two differences from other companies. The watchmakers are basically all home-grown employees, and there is no sub-assembly process. The head of the tourbillon department said, "We select the best people from among the watchmakers who assemble regular models. It really raises their motivation."

　These watchmakers are also responsible for assembling the carriage, casing, and in some cases additional finishing. The sight of watchmakers assembling the carriage with files in hand is hard to believe, a scene from the 21st century, when division of labor has become the norm. Moreover, the workshop where the watchmakers assemble the complicated watches is located on the top floor of the company building. It is truly a "cabinotier."

　However, what's fascinating about Franck Muller is how it uses classic techniques to create a modern expression. Take the new Grand Curvex, for example. While the three-dimensional case shape remains the same as before, the case now has a two-layer structure and the sapphire crystal has been extended vertically. The Grand Central Tourbillon, which houses a tourbillon in this case, is an attempt to achieve a sophisticated fusion of the interior and exterior. Since the mid-2000s, Franck Muller movements have been fixed directly to the case without the use of a spacer. The clearance with the case is just 6/100ths of a millimeter. Designing the movement and case in one place has made it possible to maintain strict control.

The Vanguard 7 Days Power Reserve Skeleton is another timepiece unique to Watchland. It is a modern reinterpretation of the classic 7-day movement designed by Pierre-Michel Golay. The designer was Johnlou Grena, who also designed the Grand Central Tourbillon. The movement was reworked by Florian Graeffier, a designer of complicated watches.

"Normally, the design would be done by another department, but because it is so difficult, the complicated watch department took charge of it. We are trying to create something that has never been done before. In that respect, it is easy to communicate with other departments at Franck Muller," says Graeffier. Indeed, with the design and manufacturing departments located within walking distance, communication must be easy.

　Frank Muller's Watchland is a brand that retains a classical style of watchmaking, which is hard to imagine given its avant-garde image. It was the last "cabinotier" made in Geneva that made possible the sophisticated fusion of in-house movements, unique designs, and the two.