Franck Muller launches the Cintrée Curvex Ryoko Kaneta Dragon Limited Edition, in collaboration with the titular Japanese artist Ryoko Kaneta.
The Asia Pacific exclusive timepiece, limited to only 500 pieces in the region, builds on the success of 2023’s #FR2NCK MULLER Vanguard, which ushered in the Year of the Rabbit with an edgy, provocative dial that blended Swiss watchmaking and Japanese street fashion. It also echoes the spirit of its predecessor – to be more than just another “zodiac watch” by serving as a reflection of the wider zeitgeist outside of watchmaking, thus ensuring its relevance in the long run.
Designed in collaboration with its namesake, Japanese artist Ryoko Kaneta, the new timepiece offers a whimsical take on the mythical dragon. While the creature is traditionally portrayed as a regal, authoritative figure that heralds strength, prosperity, and good health, it has been anthropomorphised here as a series of doll-like girls – a trademark of Kaneta. Each interacts with an index on the dial variously, and the interplay between these dial elements gives the watch a previously unseen playfulness that contrasts with the Cintrée Curvex case’s neoclassical elegance.
Kaneta had opted for this depiction of the “dragons” as a response to the aesthetics of the Cintrée Curvex. According to the artist, the Cintrée Curvex’s most striking feature is its curvilinear elements, which extend in all three dimensions – this was what inspired her to have her figures interact with the dial’s indices.