Franck Muller trained at the Geneva watchmaking school in the 1970s and apprenticed at Audemars Piguet through the 1980s. He went independent in 1991, founding Franck Muller Genève with Vartan Sirmakes (case-maker). The early Franck Muller catalogue was complications-driven: tourbillon, minute repeater, perpetual calendar, jumping hour, retrograde - often combined into single references. The signature tonneau case (curved barrel, taller than wide) became the brand's visual identity.
The 1990s-2000s were Franck Muller's commercial peak. The 'Master of Complications' branding positioned the watches above mass-luxury but below haute-horlogerie tier; the unique Crazy Hours reference (2003, randomly-arranged hour numerals with the hand jumping) was the brand's most-photographed launch. Modern Franck Muller produces ~6,000-8,000 watches/year across the catalogue (Cintrée Curvex, Color Dreams, Crazy Hours, Vanguard, Aeternitas grand complication). The brand has had ownership and partnership disputes over the years; Muller and Sirmakes split their interests in the 2010s.
