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Franck Muller’s power of three

WATCH BUYERS generally fall into one of two camps: those who pursue simple, elegant designs and those who desire to own instances of horological mastery in the form of various complications. It is not very often that a timepiece manages to satisfy both camps, but when it does, it is almost guaranteed to be something magical.

A WELL-AGED CLASSIC

My take on the Cintrée Curvex Master Banker Asia Exclusive is that it is very much a “silent wonder”. At first glance, it has all the hallmarks of a finely crafted timepiece: a rose gold case, custom leather strap and a gleaming finish that brings out the organic beauty of the watch’s smoothly curved edges. However, a slight pause brings about a much deeper appreciation.

For starters, consider the structure of the signature Cintrée Curvex case, which demands a customised typeface for the numerals to avoid a skewed appearance. Then there is the execution of the threetime-zone readout. Most GMT watches achieve this through the combination of a fourth hand and a bi-directional rotating 24-hour bezel. The Cintrée Curvex Master Banker Asia Exclusive eschews this for a plain bezel and twin sub-dials positioned at six and 12 o’clock.

This hardly constitutes an issue with round cases, but the stakes go up when it comes to rectangular or elongated cases. Edged corners and a more latitudinal emphasis on space results in a “tighter” visage. While this lends a touch of elegance to the silhouette, it also forces watchmakers to tread lightly with dial configurations. Avoiding a cluttered dial becomes a massive exercise in proportions, something which Franck Muller has displayed ample proficiency in with the Cintrée Curvex Master Banker Asia Exclusive.

COMPLICATION MADE UNCOMPLICATED

star of the show, however, is the crown and how it interacts with the watch. Remarkably, the system has seen little change since its debut in 1996. In its default position, the crown winds the automatic movement. Pulling it to position one enables time-setting for the secondary time zones; turning the crown clockwise adjusts the 12 o’clock sub-dial, while doing so counterclockwise corrects the six o’clock sub-dial instead. Pull the crown further out to position two, and adjustments to the local time and date can be made, with the latter having a semi-quick-set function for greater convenience when making large corrections.

However, it is worth noting that the watch does not hack with the crown in position one, only in position two. A key aspect of the movement’s design is that each time zone display is driven by its own pinion; pulling the crown to position one means that the central pinion continues to rotate freely. For those interested in getting the best accuracy across time zones, I would recommend setting your secondary time zones first before moving to local time.

SATISFACTION ON THE WRIST

The Cintrée Curvex Master Banker Asia Exclusive falls somewhere in between a “traveller” and “caller” GMT. For the uninitiated, “traveller” GMTs feature a jumping hour hand that can be adjusted independently without affecting the reference time, making it more suited to those who frequently travel. “Caller” GMTs come with an independent fourth hand, which sees better utility in situations where local time zones remain fixed, using the fourth hand to monitor secondary time zones instead. There is no real “fourth hand” to speak of, but the behaviour of the sub-dials mirrors it in terms of function. Furthermore, the physicality of having a separate sub-dial means that one doesn’t have to always rely on the main dial to display the local time. With some slight mental realignment, using a sub-dial to reference local time can be just as intuitive.

On the wrist, the Cintrée Curvex Master Banker Asia Exclusive creates the impression of a tiny pillow. An odd analogy for sure, but not altogether misplaced when comfort is concerned. This aspect of the Cintrée Curvex case is evident enough; its curvature also allows it to wear slightly smaller than its 50-millimetre lug-to-lug measurement suggests. The reference I was privy to (7880 MB SC DT II Denim 5N) also came with a leather strap specially designed to mimic the colour of washed denim. Compared to the usual alligator leather that accompanies most Master Bankers, this unique strap displays a more devil-may-care quality and possesses more pliability.

BEYOND THE NUMBERS

In all honesty, I maintain zero presence in the finance world, nor do I have a pressing need to keep track of time zones elsewhere. Nevertheless, I adjusted the sub-dials to display the times in London and Tokyo ‒ two of the world’s busiest cities. The novelty of being able to read three time zones at a glance was not lost on me, and I must confess to having quite a kick out of it.

While I initially thought only bankers or stockbrokers would find the Master Banker’s complication useful, the opposite proved true. If you’re eagerly awaiting a live telecast of an important online event that will be occurring in a different time zone, you can simply set one of the Master Banker’s sub-dials to track that. Ditto, if it’s a championship sports match you’re dying to catch. Certainly, not all important global events in life have to do with stock markets and trading hours.

It’s not at all surprising how the Master Banker was once de rigueur for professional bankers. But it’s also appreciated by fans of thoughtful design as well. Most consider the ability to display secondary time zones to be the most practical complication of all. This plays off against the Cintrée Curvex’s refined disposition for a well-rounded package that remains a perennial favourite today.

The Cintrée Curvex Master Banker Asia Exclusive is a grand-looking timepiece for sure, but it’s also one that understands how style should not be devoid of substance.