The Franck Muller Giga Tourbillon is, almost, everything a watch enthusiast could want.
It was designed and manufactured in Switzerland – the de facto home of luxury timepieces – and, as its name suggests, it is a tourbillon (French for whirlwind) which is a piece of machinery to defy the laws of physics.
This means it counters the gravitational pull on the hands, mechanics and workings of the watch by setting the minutely engineered components, inside a cage, inside the time piece.
As one would expect for a Swiss tourbillon it has a price tag that is almost as special as the watch itself sitting just shy of the Dh1 million mark – Dh952,000 to be very precise, which is a bit like the watch. And for those that want to get their hands on one quickly, it is available in the brand’s two UAE outlets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
While its Swiss heritage is assured, being the creation of the Swiss watchmaker Franck Muller, it does not carry the heritage that many of the country’s most well-known horologists do – only being founded in 1991.
However what it lacks in history in makes up for in ingenuity. Mr Muller created, what he claims, for the first time ever, a tourbillon visible from the front. This is contrary to all other brands’ tourbillons, in which it could only be seen from the back. His brand carries the phrase “Master of Complications” and his annual collections are an example of intricate and unique complexity.
This tourbillon is the biggest incorporated in a wrist watch up to now, giving it 10 days of power reserve. The Giga Tourbillon has been given two pairs of spring boxes with a diameter of 16 millimetres, in contrast to traditional tourbillons which generally have only one or two.
Franck Muller may not be as famous a name in watch making as some of the more established houses but his celebrity clients may offer a glimpse into the type of person that can sit easily with his designs on their wrist. Jose Mourinho and Demi Moore are clients, as are the slightly more ostentatious Elton John and 50 Cent.
The Franck Muller Giga tourbillon is available in steel, white gold, platinum and titanium, and can come with diamonds as well.
q&a master of complications
Erol Baliyan, regional director at Franck Muller Watchland, tells Andrew Scott more about the Giga Tourbillon timepiece:
How many have you sold in the UAE?
The watch was launched 18 months ago and we have sold 2 so far. The mechanism is one of the most complicated you can buy in the market presently. We do have a more expensive watch but it takes a year to manufacture and we probably only make one per year. That watch will cost approximately $2.5 million.
Who buys the watches in the UAE?
The UAE market is not just for its residents, that is the beauty of the UAE. We have many clients that are from China and Russia. The Chinese have a growing interest in sophisticated movements which is accommodating the fall in Russian buyers that we have seen recently. Of course the UAE nationals are an important and knowledgeable market for us in our shops in Abu Dhabi and Dubai Mall.
So have you seen a downturn in sales to the Russian market?
We were expecting the summer to be very slow, but we have found the local market to be very buoyant. Franck Muller releases new collections every year, so the choice available is far beyond most premium watchmakers.
Can anyone take a look at the Giga Tourbillon?
It is available in both our UAE stores. It is not in the window so you will have to ask in store.
ascott@thenational.ae
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Day 3, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage, the Sri Lanka pace bowler, has had to play a lot of cricket to earn a shot at the top level. The 29-year-old debutant first played a first-class game 11 years ago. His first Test wicket was one to savour, bowling Pakistan opener Shan Masood through the gate. It set the rot in motion for Pakistan’s batting.
Stat of the day – 73 Haris Sohail took 73 balls to hit a boundary. Which is a peculiar quirk, given the aggressive intent he showed from the off. Pakistan’s batsmen were implored to attack Rangana Herath after their implosion against his left-arm spin in Abu Dhabi. Haris did his best to oblige, smacking the second ball he faced for a huge straight six.
The verdict One year ago, when Pakistan played their first day-night Test at this ground, they held a 222-run lead over West Indies on first innings. The away side still pushed their hosts relatively close on the final night. With the opposite almost exactly the case this time around, Pakistan still have to hope they can salvage a win from somewhere.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
TV:
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am
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Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour Calendar 2018/19
July 29: OTA Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan
Sep 22-23: LA Convention Centre in Los Angeles, US
Nov 16-18: Carioca Arena Centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Feb 7-9: Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Mar 9-10: Copper Box Arena in London, UK
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Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
The Beach Bum
Director: Harmony Korine
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg
Two stars
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5