At the dawn of his watchmaking career, Franck Muller embraced subtle designs belying the daring, avant-garde pieces that would later define his eponymous brand. His early work restoring some of horology's rarest and most complicated vintage watches informed this restrained aesthetic. Franck Muller was part of a vanguard of young independent watchmakers in the 1990s, alongside disruptive figures like Vianney Halter and Daniel Roth, who struck out on their own. In 1991, Franck Muller founded his manufacture, soon to become renowned for audacious, cutting-edge timepieces.

This yellow gold triple calendar chronograph from circa 1999 represents Franck Muller's early embrace of classical proportions, at 36mm diameter. The dial distinguishes itself through stunning blue star-set hour markers, evoking the spirit of the celebrated “Jean-Claude Killy” Rolex Datocompax references made from the 1940s-1960s.

Within beats the manual-wind Franck Muller cal. 1870, based on the legendary Lemania cal. 1872 found across important vintage chronographs. The renowned movement specialist Lemania gained fame for supplying chronograph calibers to the industry's elite, most notably Omega's iconic Speedmasters.

Preserved in excellent condition with light oxidation lending an alluring aged charm, this rare Master Calendar Chronograph encapsulates Franck Muller's beginnings - a subtle elegance before the bold designs that followed. For collectors, it carries particular significance as a transitional model and a link to Lemania's esteemed chronograph legacy.