FRANCK MULLER PRESENTS THE NEW LONG ISLAND WITH THREE EXPRESSIONS OF TIME

Technical innovation is a quality that resides at the heart of Franck Muller’s philosophy. This is evident not only in our high and grand complication timepieces, but also in our case and dial making, gemsetting techniques, and the materials we use in our timepieces. This is demonstrated in our very first shaped wristwatch case, the Cintrée Curvex in 1987, and continues with our latest evolution of the Long Island case.

The Long Island was first presented in 2000 as a three-hand timepiece. The rounded rectangular case with a gentle curved form, short lugs, and arched numerals that followed the design of the case paid tribute to the Art Deco era and quickly became a popular model among collectors.

This year, Franck Muller is pleased to introduce a modern evolution of the Long Island case. The new design retains the silhouette of the original, which was conceptualised by our co-founder Vartan Sirmakes, while injecting a new dynamic to the case. In order to reconstruct the new Long Island, we had to deconstruct the original design and bring out a refined proportion that highlights the curves, angles, and fine lines of the Long Island.

Compared with the original Long Island design, the new case incorporates an additional inner case that secures the shaped movements driving the watch. Franck Muller is one of the few watchmakers that can develop movements designed to precisely fit each case, because it designs, engineers, and produces its cases, dials, and movements independently at Watchland.

Shaped movements completely utilise all of the space within the watch case, making them more appealing visually, but are also a challenge to configure and engineer. The additional inner case of the Long Island Evolution offers added security and shock protection to the movement. The multi-layered construction also offers one benefit – it enables the sapphire crystal protecting the display of the watch to be attached to the flange without any visible fixing screws.

The aluminium inner case is anodised in a pine green colour, while the titanium outer case has a black PVD treatment with satin-brushing. Luxurious alligator leather straps in matte black featuring contrast stitching and edges in the same pine green colour are paired with the new Long Island cases, creating a continuous green line that encircles the entire watch on both sides.

To round off the collection, we’ve created a third three-hand model equipped with our hand-wound FM 1745 calibre in a fully skeletonised design. This impressive timekeeper provides a seven-day power reserve, with a precise oscillator running at a steady 18,000vph. The Long Island Evolution 7 Days Power Reserve hearkens back to classic pocket watch movements, but it has been given a novel and bold makeover that fits the new Long Island case to a ‘T’.

The bridges of the movement are fully skeletonised to maximise the view of the movement through the sapphire crystal, with a small seconds counter at the bottom of the display that’s perfectly balanced with the enormous mainspring above it. The gear train and winding gears are also partially revealed, and can be further discovered through the back of the watch. Above the movement, large Arabic hour numerals painted with luminous material indicate the time clearly; turn off the lights and enjoy the view of this watch in glowing detail.

These three new Long Island models pay homage to the original Long Island, but with radically new expressions and designs of a three-hand timekeeper. They demonstrate just how far Franck Muller has come in over 30 years, and how we’re constantly reaching for greater heights.

Founded in 1991 by master watchmaker Franck Muller and watchmaking specialist and entrepreneur Vartan Sirmakes, the House of Franck Muller is one of the most acclaimed independent watch companies in contemporary watchmaking. An award-winning brand, Franck Muller is known for its highly exclusive technical complications, many of which are proprietary innovations, produced in- house within its Manufacture in Genthod, Geneva, endearingly known as Watchland. With more than 50 world premieres and patents, Franck Muller has been dazzling the world with creations that have been received with great enthusiasm by watch connoisseurs and celebrities alike throughout the world, and designs that represent major technical advances in the history of haute horlogerie.