Franck Muller Pre-Brand Minute Repeating Perpetual Calendar Wristwatch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Circa 1992
Maker / issuer
Franck MullerSource reports this early pre-brand wristwatch by Franck Muller was assembled circa 1992 as a unique piece numbered 1. The complication combines a minute repeater with a perpetual calendar, moon phases, and chronometer designation.
The 37.5 mm 18k yellow gold case incorporates a snap-on back stamped internally by master casemaker Jean-Pierre Hagmann ('JHP'). The textured silvered dial is signed 'Franck Genève' and displays date, day, month, and moon phase indications with blued hands and Roman numerals. The watch is powered by a jewelled manual winding movement and accompanied by a certificate of case production from Hagmann.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Minute repeating perpetual calendar wristwatch
- Case number
- N°1
- Case diameter
- 37.5 mm
- Case material
- 18k yellow gold
- Movement type
- Manual winding, jewelled
- Dial signature
- Franck Genève
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Casemaker signature
- Jean-Pierre Hagmann
- Maker / attribution
- Franck Muller
Design
- Visible features
- • Textured silvered dial with four subsidiary registers displaying perpetual calendar functions and moon phases • Blued steel hands and black Roman numerals around the perimeter • Dial signed 'CHRONOMETRE' above the 6 o'clock register and 'FRANCK GENÈVE' across 6 o'clock • Stepped 18k yellow gold bezel and fluted winding crown at 3 o'clock • Straight lugs fitted with a black patterned leather strap
- Dial Display and Movement Details
- The silvered dial exhibits a textured finish and four subsidiary registers indicating day, date, month, and moon phases. Black Roman numerals indicate the hours, swept by blued steel hands, with the word "CHRONOMETRE" displayed above the 6 o'clock register. The movement is listed in the lot details as a jewelled, manual winding caliber. Internal caliber specifications, bridge architecture, and movement serial markings are not documented in the source text or shown in the primary photograph.
- Identity and Early Pre Brand Context
- The auction cataloguing describes the piece as a unique pre-brand minute repeating perpetual calendar wristwatch with moon phases, dated circa 1992 and bearing case number N°1. The dial carries the signature "Franck Genève" rather than the full commercial brand name Franck Muller. The cataloguer notes that this watch represents an early pre-brand wristwatch by Franck Muller combining a minute repeater and perpetual calendar, described in the lot essay as a unique example assembled in 1992.
- Case Construction and Jean Pierre Hagmann Stamp
- The case is executed in 18k yellow gold with a snap-on back and measures 37.5 mm in diameter. Visual observation confirms straight lugs and a stepped bezel, while the lot essay notes a slide along the case band denoting the minute repeater function. Internally, the snap-on case back is reported to bear the casemaker stamp "JHP" for Jean-Pierre Hagmann, and the watch is accompanied by a Jean-Pierre Hagmann certificate confirming production of the case. These internal case stamps and the case-band repeating slide are not visible in the provided primary face-on photograph.
Identification
- Serial number
- N°1
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: Movement is not visible in the primary photograph.
- Research required: Internal casemaker stamp 'JHP' and case number 'N°1' on the snap-on case back interior are not shown.
- Research required: Repeating slide along the left flank of the case band is turned away from the primary angle.