Franck Muller - The New York Watch Auction: XI New York Saturday, December 7, 2024 | Phillips
  • Manufacturer: Franck Muller
    Year: Circa 1990s
    Reference No: 5850 CC DF
    Case No: No. 17
    Model Name: Cintrée Curvex Double Face Chronographe
    Material: 18K yellow gold
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 1872/1873, 18 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Leather
    Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Franck Muller buckle
    Dimensions: 38mm length x 30mm width
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, and buckle signed.

  • Catalogue Essay

    Known for his daring, almost ostentatious designs, Franck Muller started his career producing watches inspired from his days restoring some of the rarest and most complicated watches of the past. Muller is also part of the fantastic group of young watchmakers – along with Roth, Dubuis, and Halter- who had decided to go independent. He would launch his eponymous brand in 1991.

    One of his first creations was a double-sided chronograph inspired by the Patek Philippe ref 1463 “Tasti Tondi”. He reimagined the chronograph by placing an oversized seconds counter on the reverse of the watch, a complication most commonly found on pocket watches. He later incorporated this, in a more limited series, in his signature Cintrée Curvex case, such as the present watch. Fitted with the manually-wound Lemania caliber 1872/1873, it is the rarest variant of Muller’s highly sought after double-faced chronograph.

    The front features a conventional, guilloche dial with chronograph registers, while the back has an oversized, one-minute register with center seconds as well as a pulsometer, tachymeter and telemeter, operated by the chronograph buttons. Due to its large display, the scales are significantly easier to read than on an ordinary chronograph.

    According to Nicholas Rudaz, CEO of Franck Muller, these double-sided chronographs were all commissioned by an Italian retailer in the 1990s. They were made in a small series of approximately 40 to 50 examples. The present example is numbered 17, though numbers have been seen to 32.

  • Artist Biography

    Franck Muller

    Swiss • 1991

    Specializing in top-quality timepieces, Swiss watchmaking company Franck Muller was founded in 1991 in Geneva. The company was named after watchmaker Franck Muller, also known as the "Master of Complications," and Vartan Sirmakes, Co-Founder and CEO of the Franck Muller Group. Shortly after graduating from watchmaking school in the 1980s, Muller was among the first to create his own tourbillon wristwatch, along with world-renowned brands Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin.

    In addition to Muller's fine craftsmanship and intricate complications, the brand is often recognized for its modern designs and colorful flare. To date, the brand's notable lines are the Curvex, Crazy Hours, Casablanca, Conquistador, Long Island and Aeternitas, as well as Revolution2 and Revolution3.

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Ref. 5850 CC DF
A rare and unusual yellow gold double-dialed chronograph wristwatch with telemeter, tachymeter, and pulsations scale

Circa 1990s
38mm length x 30mm width
Case, dial, movement, and buckle signed.

Estimate
$6,000 - 12,000 
CHF5,300-10,600
€5,600-11,200
HK$46,600-93,300

Sold for $17,780

Contact Specialist

Paul Boutros
Deputy Chairman, Watches, Head of Watches, Americas
+1 (212) 940-1293
watchesny@phillips.com

Isabella Proia
Head of Sale, New York
+1 (212) 940 1285
iproia@phillips.com

The New York Watch Auction: XI

New York Auction 7 - 8 December 2024