This is the first new Franck Muller watch in sometime – which makes sense as the watch maker has had to lay-off people due to a reduction in demand. The development of a few watch is very expensive, especially with a maker like Franck Muller. They don’t just get a movement from ETA and built a watch around it, but rather build their own movement, or have one made for them. This with the physical design of the watch takes years, and is a huge investment. For a watch maker to stay in the spotlight, they must release new watches on some regular basis, unless they want people to think that are going under. Well Franck Muller is not going under and this new Triple Scale Chronograph Ratrappante Ref. 8883 watch.

While the look of the watch is familiar to the typical tonneau shaped cases that Franck Muller is know for, the design and functionality of the watch is pretty unique. This watch has a lot going on both on the front and back of the watch, and all revolves around the chronograph functions. Actually instead of being flamboyant and flashy, this watch is almost a pure vintage style instrument. The watch face itself is smaller, and placed in the lower center of the face – with quite the tool like look (something I’d probably guess being on a Sinn watch or Panerai).  As the chronograph function is central to the Triple Scale Chronograph, it is quite impressive. Not only is it a split second double chronograph (rattrapante), but carry’s over to the back of the watch for more functionality. It is actually rather clever because the functions on the back are rarely used, but are there when you need it, and it is probably not that big of a deal to take the watch off when using those functions. The rear features include a: tachymeter scale (measures speed), a pulsometer (measures pulse), and a telemeter (measures distance).

Inside the watch is the manually wound Franck Muller caliber 7002 with a power reserve of about 42 hours. If you buy this watch you get a personalized rotor made out of platinum. Even though the watch face itself decentered, you get a clear looking face with a subsidiary seconds hand. The case of the watch is actually steel, which will keep the price of the watch down a bit – though it will be high luxury in cost. Of course both crystals are sapphire and the watch is water resistant to 20 meters (not very much).

If you are thinking that this watch is sort of an odd one out for the Franck Muller line, you are right. The obvious “instrument” look of the watch is something new, and is likely a subtle hint from Franck Muller that watches are tools meant to be used and do have a functional component that is more important that just the mere look of the watch. Let’s hope the message get’s across.

See Franck Muller watches on eBay here.

See Franck Muller watches on Amazon here. [phpbay]franck muller, num, “14324”, “”[/phpbay]