The beauty of a watch can normally be admired through the sapphire crystal on the front and back of its case.
Franck Muller has made the new Vanguard Aero Revolution 3 Skeleton even more revealing with stunning side views, thanks to a pared-down tonneau-shaped case.
Opened on all four sides, the airy construction allows unobstructed views of the new MVT FM 2031-VS movement from multiple angles.
The crown mechanism has been engineered to integrate seamlessly within the openworked case, by fixing it via a tube secured to the sapphire crystal using a watertight locking system, ensuring both stability and water resistance up to 30m.
It took Franck Muller over two years to develop the skeletonised calibre for this open architecture, and the see-through caseback is designed with a convex dome to accommodate its height.
The movement is unprecedentedly mounted directly onto the caseback, requiring a complete rethinking of the bridges, barrels and gear train.
Construction on multiple levels creates layers, increasing visibility of the beating heart and the tri-axial tourbillon aka Revolution 3, which compensates for the effects of gravity in all positions to enhance chronometric precision.
The tri-axial tourbillon is one of the groundbreaking mechanisms that exemplifies Franck Muller's standing as the Master Of Complications.
Animating the Vanguard Aero Revolution 3 Skeleton, the system is composed of three concentric cages rotating on different axes. The inner cage completes a rotation every 60 seconds, the intermediate cage every eight minutes, and the outer cage every hour.
Powered by two barrels, the manually-wound movement delivers a 10-day power reserve while sustaining the continuous motion of the three axes.
The immersive haute horlogerie is staged in a rose gold, blackened titanium or stainless steel case, and functional adjustment can be made with a corrector discreetly integrated into the caseback's sapphire crystal.
