This year, Franck Muller launches a special Southeast Asia-exclusive model with black diamonds, the Vanguard Rose Skeleton Black Diamonds, to bring a new depth to its Vanguard Rose Skeleton series. The timepiece is a celebration of color and contrast, with a white gold case and movement bridges treated with black PVD, 422 brilliant-cut black diamonds on the case and 75 gemstones on the dial — rubies, pink sapphires, green diamonds, or black diamonds — complete with enamel varnish and alligator straps in white, black, lime green, pink, or red.

The Vanguard Rose Skeleton Black Diamonds, powered by the somewhat bigger in-house 1540 VS17 calibre, is even more difficult to create than its predecessor: In addition to negotiating the curved caseback, care is necessary to treat the gemstones before and after putting them in the PVD-coated bridges, and the enamel varnish hand-painting method needs to be changed — all of which are indicative of Franck Muller’s creative acumen and professional craftsmanship.

Franck Muller previously released the Vanguard Rose Skeleton in 2021, a lyrical timepiece that honors both aesthetic beauty and mechanical prowess. The watch is distinguished by a stunning openwork dial with themes of roses and foliage on both the front and back of the skeletonised bridges, adorned with jewels and hand-painted with enamel varnish — resulting in a fascinating bouquet that highlights the intricacies of the manual-winding movement within. The Vanguard Rose Skeleton is powered by the in-house 1540 VS15 calibre and has two barrels for a four-day power reserve. It is available in 18K rose gold or white gold set with diamonds in seven colorways, as well as the distinctive Color Dreams combination.

Not only are the flower components a visual feast, but they also serve as bridges and plates in the Vanguard Rose Skeleton’s mechanism, such as the seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock. The amazing timepiece’s components display Franck Muller artists’ mastery in decorative methods like as satin finishing, circular graining, mirror polishing, and chamfering — as seen on the movement, bridges, main plate, barrel, and wheels. Manual chamfering and thorough polishing of the skeletonised bridges, a time-consuming and very difficult operation, eliminates sharp edges to maintain the movement’s accuracy while also sculpting gleaming surfaces.

These ancient watchmaker finishing processes, completed entirely by hand, reflect the amazing degree of detail that the manufacturer strives for in all of its products. When combined with Franck Muller’s aesthetic flare, technological quality, creative vision, and daring, the Vanguard Rose Skeleton is a collection of extraordinary watches to see and adore. Watch this video to discover more about the Franck Muller Vanguard Rose Skeleton collection’s design and savoir-faire.