The “King” in the name of the new elite watch line speaks of the status of bitcoin in the crypto space
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The Swiss luxury watch brand Franck Muller has a long and rich history. It was Franck Muller who created the Cintree Curvex case in the 90s, during the dominance of the classic round models in the industry. It is believed that with the advent of Curvex, trends among watchmakers changed, and brands such as Richard Mille and Hublot began to use the tonneau shape.
In 2019, Muller made another revolution by creating a symbiosis of cryptocurrencies and watchmaking. The new Encrypto series has become very popular with successful investors and traders from Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Miami and Dubai. The watch has become even more popular after being mentioned at the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix last year.
The Encrypto watches were more than a pretty face. Powered by technology from tech partner Regal Assets, each watch carried a unique QR code, generated offline via non-deterministic TRNG (True Random Number Generated) methods. With watches, Bitcoin “hodlers” could scan their watch dial to check their balances and deposit bitcoins to their personal safe. The dial, with the inclusion of a functioning QR code, was novel—to the point that Muller filed a patent for it.
And now it is reported that Muller is releasing new limited edition Carbon Fiber King Tourbillon and Diamond King Tourbillon. The “King” in the name of the new elite watch line speaks of the status of bitcoin in the crypto space.
The Carbon Fibre King line is limited to 10 exclusive pieces. The black carbon fibre case draws the eye in to the sophisticated skeletonized dial, replete with rose-gold accents and centrepiece tourbillon with Bitcoin logo. The essence is in the details; with closer inspection showing a range of intricate flourishes. The boundaries of the watch case make room for hash rates, the measuring unit for a Bitcoin network’s processing power. The stylised numbers on the watch face are abstract, and modelled after QR codes, floating over a multi-layered skeletonized movement. Only by letting the eye relax does one see the numbers reveal themselves. The movement itself is laden with beautiful embellishments highlighting its bridges, plates and components. The bridges and pillars of a traditional tourbillon have been transformed into an elliptical circle that creates a three-dimensional aspect.
The King Tourbillon is a beguiling piece of watchmaking art, laden with intent. It also comes in a diamond version—with a run restricted to twenty pieces. Here, the understated severity of the carbon fibre gives away to the confetti glazing of a multitude of diamonds around the case. The intricate inner workings, skeletonised movement and sapphire crystal front and back remain the same. Both watches have massive mechanisms, where the bridges and pillars of a traditional tourbillon have been turned into an elliptical circle with diameters of 21.2mm. An eccentric balance of 14mm further characterises this radical tourbillon. Powered by the same 24-jewel manual winding CS-03.SQT movement, beating at 18,800 vibrations an hour.
The models are so rare and exclusive that Muller has made them available only to Encrypto customers. The huge demand and the lack of the Carbon Fiber King Tourbillon and Diamond King Tourbillon watches on the free market will make them a very profitable investment.
