The Swiss watchmaking brand that uses the slogan “Master of Complications” stays dedicated to finding a new and unusual way of showing time. For the fourth edition of the Only Watch event, it revised one of the models that brought great recognition to the relatively young company (founded in 1991). Franck Muller, the brand named after its noted founder who designs every single mechanism for the company, presents a new twist on their Crazy Watch model. For the charity auction that takes place in Monaco, Swiss-based Franck Muller created a timepiece that honors the large Swiss community of the famous Mediterranean principality.
The originality of the Crazy Hours timepiece is in its unique way of displaying the correct time. While the most other analog watches show the time in a simple manner we are all used to, with the hands moving in a clockwise direction from 1 to 12, this watch is completely different. Franck Muller created a product which dial has a totally unique layout. Only the first hour marker is on the place where it is suppose to be, but all the other markers sit on totally unexpected positions, so that every next marker is almost on the opposite side of the dial.
Jumping Hours Complication
In order to keep the new dial and the accuracy of the timepiece, Franck Muller had to create a mechanism where the hour hand jumps to the correct place, every single time when the minute hand completes a revolution. This sort of display can be rather confusing at the beginning, but it certainly breaks all usual patterns and represents completely new approach in displaying the time.
The Crazy Hours Totally Switzerland Watch is rectangular shaped, and really large, even for a modern timepiece. Its two-body case, made of polished and brushed 18K white gold, is 59.2 mm high, 35.2 mm wide, and 13.3 mm thick. It also has straight lugs and a screwed case-back.
The red face of the watch, dominated with a white cross in the center and oversized Arabic numerals, is protected with a sapphire glass. The red dial, paired with white accents, is translucent lacquered guilloche. The time is shown with blued steel hands in a shape of a spade.
Since the numerals sit in a random order, this watch needed a Caliber 2800 HF automatic movement to show the right time. The automatic movement which consists of 186 components is bi-color rhodium-plated and with a fausses cotes decoration. Besides, it has 23 jewels and includes a shock absorber for extra protection, as well as the power reserve of 42 hours. The strap used for this model is hand-sewn alligator leather with an 18K white gold buckle. The watch is water tight to 30 meters.
At a glance, this looked like a regular watch. Only when I read the article, I realized that its dial looks completely crazy
Very interesting concept