The Power of Three

Why Franck Muller’s Cintrée Curvex Master Banker Asia Exclusive isn’t just good for bankers

- Evigan Xiao

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 three-time-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.