Franck Muller
Franck Muller Vanguard Racing Skeleton
Franck Muller
Franck Muller Vanguard Racing Skeleton
On the eve of its 30th anniversary, the brand continues to expand on its Vanguard series, with a new model, the Racing Skeleton, hitting stores this quarter. The watch sets the Vanguard collection’s bold and definitive looks in the style of a motorsport-inspired machine, delivering a sexy timepiece with hidden chassis enhancements that are not immediately evident at first glance.
A Different Display
At the heart of the Vanguard Racing Skeleton is the FM 2800-DT movement, a three-hand caliber that’s a foundation movement used previously in other Vanguard Racing models. The movement is fully skeletonised this time around and visible through the front of the watch, which has a secondary see-through crystal within the watch showing the central seconds and the gear train that lies underneath.
The watch differs from other past Vanguard skeleton models such as the Grande Date or Gravity. A central seconds ring, which supports the seconds display at the centre of the dial and under which a skeletonised date display rests, is attached to the case via the hour markers, which alternate between angled bars and cut-out Arabic numerals. The movement sits below this layer, with four bridges that support and protect it against shock and are screwed to the back.
While the hour and minute hands run in pretty much the same way, the seconds hand is a different matter altogether. The start of the seconds run is at six o’clock rather than 12, much like the speedometer of a vehicle. This reposition may not seem like much, but it has a very significant effect when it comes to looking at the watch. For example, the minute shift that takes place as the seconds hand passes “59” now occurs at the base of the dial rather than the top, and the date jump is similarly scheduled.
Movement
Self-winding calibre FM 2800-DT; hours, minutes and seconds; date; 42-hour power reserve
Case
53.7mm × 44mm (W) × 12.7mm; 18K rose gold, carbon; titanium or stainless steel, with skeleton dial; water-resistant to 30m
Strap
Hand-sewn suede with rubberised back
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