From magnificent complications to cute dragons, the Cintrée Curvex collection by Franck Muller proves to be an expansive canvas for inspiration
As much as Franck Muller is fond of reminding us that it is a master of complications in the realm of fine watchmaking, it is perhaps not wrong, too, to call it a master of reinvention.
Case in point: the Cintrée Curvex watch. Although tonneau-shaped watches have existed since the early 1900s, the 33-year-old independent brand took the distinctive elongated and cushion-inspired profile, reconfigured it, and made it entirely its own with the Cintrée Curvex collection.
Cintrée Curvex is French for ‘arched in a curve’ and Franck Muller ensured that the three-dimensional and curvaceous watch collection lives up to the name. Sensuality is the key design objective, with the Cintrée Curvex case and sapphire crystal sculpted in a way that is visibly curved from every angle.
The voluminous and gently arched profile of Cintrée Curvex is a laborious undertaking. But the results are worth it. Not only does it add presence to the wrist, the Cintrée Curvex aesthetic has also served as an inspiration for the brand and its collaborators to complement its unique silhouette with equally striking technical and design features.
In the new Cintrée Curvex Ryoko Kaneta Dragon 500-piece limited edition that was created in collaboration with the Japanese artist, the case and dial serve as an iconic backdrop for Kaneta’s artwork.
Known for a unique aesthetic style that depicts elements of nature as anthropomorphic beings, Kaneta drew 12 doll-like dragons, each paired with the watch’s trademark art deco-style numbers. Inspired by the Cintrée Curvex’s curvilinear silhouette, Kaneta decided to have her figures ‘interact’ with the watch by positioning them with the dial’s indices that extend toward the case.
One also gets a sense of design exuberance from the more technically driven creations. On the Cintrée Curvex Retrograde Hour Day & Night and Cintrée Curvex Double Retrograde Hour, the namesake complication takes centre stage. The retrograde feature, which shows hands that traverse along an arc and snap back to their starting points at the end of each cycle, echoes the shape of the case and dial perfectly.
Even more impressive is the new Grand Central Tourbillon Skeleton. Housed in the 36mm by 53.1mm Curvex CX—an updated iteration with a curved sapphire crystal that extends all the way to the lugs to offer an unobstructed view of the dial—the watch features a skeletonised movement that also shares a curved profile. Framed by the white gold case that has been hand-set with brilliant-cut diamonds, the central tourbillon is dramatically poised in the middle, rotating with prominence and mechanical gravitas.
While it is widely acknowledged that the majority of modern watchmaking’s tools, techniques and innovations have been established since the 19th century, Franck Muller never fails to pull a rabbit out of the hat.
From creating theatrical complications that perform mechanical acrobatics as they display the time to looking at a shape that has existed for centuries with fresh eyes, Franck Muller knows how to take a time-honoured horological invention and make it new again.
This story first appeared in the August 2024 issue. Purchase it as a print or digital copy, or consider subscribing to us here
