Franck Muller Master Banker

Since the 1980s, Franck Muller has become a name synonymous with exceptional quality and unique designs. With a background in haute-horlogerie and complicated watchmaking, Muller has tied his name to a brand that has established a series of exceptional designs that, while originally avant-garde, have become embraced and often copied. Here at Matt Baily we are fortunate to have a lovely example of the brand in stock – a beautiful deep-blue dial Master Banker, a timepiece that shows all the hallmarks of a classic Franck Muller design.

Franck got his start in the watch industry as a curious student of antique pieces, and made a name for himself by restoring watches and clocks. His training progressed to the highest level of watchmaking – creating whole movements and complications, a skill that has influenced his design and the evolution of his brand since its genesis in the early 1980s. In particular, Franck was keen to experiment and create new concepts in a conservative industry where tradition was valued over change. Since then, Franck Muller watches have become symbols of quality and craftsmanship married to interesting, sometimes funky designs that broke the mould and created new trends in the watch world.

Franck Muller has become particularly synonymous with the classic tonneau shape, a softly rounded rectangular case with tapered ends, a design that dates back to the Art Deco period of the 1920s and 30s but that had fallen out of favour for many decades. To add a fun, modern twist, he created vibrant dials that stood out with bright colours, playful numerals and hands, and even surrealistic elements like randomly rearranging the numbers on his famous “Crazy Hours” series. The watch I present in this week’s blog is an excellent example of the classic Franck Muller style – this Master Banker 5850 features the tonneau case matched to a beautiful bright blue dial with the funky numerals that have become a Muller signature.

Featuring a slender, elongated case, the Master Banker is an elegant design that can work well in any situation. It’s sleek enough to wear with a suit, especially with the stainless steel bracelet, but the fun dial design gives it a casual look that goes well with a pair of jeans. The case is slim enough (32mm) for a small wrist, but long enough (45mm) to still have a good presence. The dial is a standout on this model – it is a deep, rich blue colour with a delicate guilloche pattern. The colour of the dial changes according to the light, shifting from a dark navy to a bright cobalt blue. The numerals are bright luminescent white, a nice contrast on the deep blue dial, and the subdials of the secondary time zones are guilloched silver with black numerals, and the date display features a Cyclops lens set into the dial itself. Despite the complexity (there are three time displays, after all) and the fine detailing, the dial is very easy to read at a glance.

Underneath their elegant exteriors, Franck Muller timepieces are still high-complication watches at heart (hence the tagline “Master of Complications”) and the Master Banker is no exception. As the name would suggest, this model is designed for with the high-pressure banker or stock broker in mind, someone who plays the markets and needs to know world times at a glance. The genius of the Master Banker is the simplicity of how it is read – instead of an extra GMT hand, or a complex system of bezels/buttons/24 hour scales, you have two subdials showing two timezones with independently setting minutes and hours, and three hands (hours,minutes, seconds) on the main dial. Instead of only being able to adjust in one hour intervals, you can adjust the subdials to show whatever time difference you wish – handy for the half-hour difference in the Newfoundland time zone that most GMT watches aren’t capable of showing. It couldn’t be simpler – main time on the main hands, two other times on the subdials. And setting them is a breeze too – here is where the complexity comes in. All the times are set through a single crown with two positions – position one counterclockwise sets the bottom subdial, clockwise sets the top. Position two sets the main time. To accomplish this, the Master Banker uses an in-house Franck Muller design - a smooth winding automatic movement that sets with a light touch, a sure sign of a finely finished movement lurking inside that curvy case.

The Master Banker is a great example of Franck Muller’s design philosophy – challenging the old ways with simple but brave new ideas, while re-interpreting classic style principles. With its elegant case, stunning dial, beautiful finishing, and highly-complex movement, the Master Banker is a great timepiece and a great Franck Muller. The tonneau style and fun numerals still look fresh after all these years, and in this time of scaling down and scaling back, it’s a great example of clean and sober design that still has timeless elegance. Our Master Banker is pre-owned and offered with the original box and papers, and is an excellent value for such a fine timepiece. If you have any questions about this or any watch we have in stock, visit our contact page or give me a call at 514 845 8878.

Cheers

Jason Cormier

I realize Baselworld 2010 is already far away, but the footage that we got there is still relevant and fun, and therefore we continue to produce videos with the HD footage we got there last spring. The most recent release is a video presentation of one of my favorite watches of 2010, the U-51 Rattrapante by U-Boat Watches. The funny thing is that when I saw the first images of it I did not like it at all. Then I wrote about it in some blog posts both on and off the Baily Blog (see New U-Boat Model: U-51 Rattrapante and U-Boat U-51 Rattrapante Complicated Watch – An Amplified Masterpiece), and the conspicuous masterpiece started to intrigue me. When I finally got to film it and play with it at Baselworld 2010 is when I fell in love with it.

The U-Boat U-51 Rattrapante represents a balance between the sophistication of high-end horology and Italo Fontana's rugged, industrial design principles. The 51mm wide and nearly 2 cm thick, stainless steel body is not delicate in the slightest, but displays a great amount of careful craftsmanship. 

If you do not see a video embedded here, visit the original post at http://www.mattbaily.ca/blog/2010/08/24/u-boat-u-51-rattrapante-video-review-literally-awe.

Transcription of Video

The U-Boat U-51 was released in 2009 and is the first "complicated" model that the young company has created. Only 100 will be manufactured and presented in this Italian leather case.

What's cool about the U-51 is that it is big, robust, and thick like other U-Boats, but is powered by a sophisticated automatic Swiss movement that enables the split second function, which we will see in a bit. The stainless steel case is 51 mm wide, hence the name, and that's not including the hefty crown and pushers. The specially engraved movement is visible through the sapphire crystal back. Most prominent is the oscillating rotor that winds the watch while it is on your wrist.

So, lets see what the "split second" or "rattrapante" function does. So there are three chronograph pushers as opposed to the usual two. Because all U-Boat watches are configured to be left handed, the primary functions are all placed on the left. To wind the watch I unscrew the massive crown cap, and wind the crown as usual. Next to the crown you find the start/stop pusher, which is placed on the bottom here, and the reset button on top. The third button controls a red seconds hand that runs in tandem with the primary white one and is placed underneath. Once you push the button, the red hand stops, allowing the wearer can easily take a time reading while the chronograph continues to run. Pressing the third button again releases the red hand, which immediately catches up to the primary seconds hand. Hence the name "Rattrapante," which in French literally translates to "Catching up with."

Despite its bulk, the U-51 Rattrapante is quite elegant. It is fitted with a luxurious alligator and rubber strap and the stainless steel is immaculately sculpted and finished in the company's workshops near Florence. Compared to my average sized, 42mm Anonimo, the U-51 is quite large, but this just reflects how everything about it is really amplified and, literally, awesome.

When the Extreme Regulator Manufacture was announced in 2008, we were all very excited at the store. We were already sold on the Alpina watches current at that time, and an in-house movement is a big step for any watch company to take. The result was a fantastic-looking, sophisticated timepiece that sticks to Alpina's dedication to provide great value to luxury watch enthusiasts. It still is amongst the best price manufacture watches on the market today, and definitely one of the coolest.

We just uploaded a video presentation of the Alpina Extreme Regulator Manufacture as part of our series of videos, blog posts, and images regarding Alpina watches, that we got when visiting the Alpina factory and headquarters. If you do not see the video embedded below, visit the original post here. Enjoy!

Ah, the mysterious Bell & Ross Radar Instrument. For over one year we have been waiting for this quirky timepiece to arrive to the store. The delay was caused by the technical challenges posed by the Radar's unusual face and is aggravated by the fact that only 500 will be produced making the watch quite rare. But the wait is worth while for the lucky few that get to own one one. Now live on the Matt Baily YouTube channel, is the next best thing to owning or seeing one live. We posted footage taken at the Bell & Ross communications headquarters in Paris presenting the BR 01-92 Radar and explaining where the idea of the watch came from.

If you do not see a video embedded here, view it on the original Baily Blog post, Video Presentation of the BR 01-92 Radar-Limited-Edition.

This post is a part of a series of videos and blog entries showcasing some of Bell & Ross' new watches for 2010. To view all the articles in the series visit the "Bell Ross Visit 2010" tag.

Share your view and your enthusiasm for Bell & Ross watches with others at our Facebook page.

One of the defining characteristics of Marvin timepieces that strikes me the most is the way vintage is mixed new, and elegance is contrasted with bold, vivacious designs. It is these juxtapositions that create the distinctive style of Marvin watches. The M109, while not the only good example (see "Simple Does Not Mean Unremarkable - The Marvin Watch Co presents M108 Origin" and "Matt Baily Welcomes Marvin Watches to Canada") captures this design approach perfectly.

The Marvin Watch Co° M109 is square. Like pretty much every square watch that is released these days, it has been compared to the Bell & Ross BR Instruments, but I do not see much resemblance. The case's features are much more delicate. The narrow bevelled bezel and buff polished finish are rather typical of dress watches designed before the 1970s. The numeral hour markers at twelve, three, six, and nine are similarly shaped as the BRs, but they are one of numerous other stylistic features of the watch face. I especially like the minute markers and the red elements like the minute graduation ring and the "40." The hands of the face play along with the basic vintage theme of the M109, reflecting the very common baton hands of the fifties and sixties.

The most noticeable aspect of the face is the opening at Twelve o'clock. It reveals the beating balance wheel of the Sellita SW 200 caliber movement that powers the Marvin M109. This Swiss made mechanism offers a power reserve of roughly 38 hours and, as the inscription on the dial indicates in red letters, is self-winding. For an even better view of the mechanism one can look through the case back, which is equipped with a transparent 'exhibition' window.

The 'glass' on the face of the M109 is made of synthetic sapphire crystal, making it extremely scratch resistant. Its four sides are slightly bevelled, reflecting the shape of the bezel and adding an Art Deco element to the composite style of the watch. Overall the case measures 41mm not including the crown. This size is about average and will suit any size wrist. It is neither dainty nor daunting.

The M109 models are made of stainless steel. Marvin also produces the watch with a rose gold plating. Both the leather strap and the metal bracelet are equipped with a special system of pushers that allow the owner to change between them very easily and without tools. The metal bracelets are made of links that display both a brushed satin finish and a glossy finish. A nice bold, elegant look is created like this.

Marvin watches draw inspiration from all the eras in which the company has manufactured watches. The result is eclectic, yet comfortably familiar styles like the M109. The M109 is fitted with high-grade mechanics and materials, but remains within the starting price range for luxury watches. It is ideal as a first fine timepiece for someone that appreciates style as much as quality. Positive reviews from many industry experts shows that even connoisseurs will appreciate these sophisticated timepieces.

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