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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Wristwatch · Minute repeating perpetual calendar wristwatch

Franck Muller Pre-Brand Minute Repeating Perpetual Calendar Wristwatch

Partially verified

Source reports this early pre-brand wristwatch by Franck Muller was assembled circa 1992 as a unique piece numbered 1. The complication combines a minute repeater with a perpetual calendar, moon phases, and chronometer designation. The 37.5 mm 18k yellow gold case incorporates a snap-on back stamped internally by master casemaker Jean-Pierre Hagmann ('JHP'). The textured silvered dial is signed 'Franck Genève' and displays date, day, month, and moon phase indications with blued hands and Roman numerals. The watch is powered by a jewelled manual winding movement and accompanied by a certificate of case production from Hagmann.

Dial and case view of the Franck Muller pre-brand minute repeating perpetual calendar wristwatch
Dial and case view of the Franck Muller pre-brand minute repeating perpetual calendar wristwatch — Sotheby's. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.sothebys.com
Category
Wristwatch · Minute repeating perpetual calendar wristwatch
Maker / attribution
Franck Muller
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
48
Source-reported date
Circa 1992
Country
Switzerland
Source-reported serial
N°1

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Identity and Early Pre-Brand Context

The auction cataloguing describes the piece as a unique pre-brand minute repeating perpetual calendar wristwatch with moon phases, dated circa 1992 and bearing case number N°1. The dial carries the signature "Franck Genève" rather than the full commercial brand name Franck Muller.

The cataloguer notes that this watch represents an early pre-brand wristwatch by Franck Muller combining a minute repeater and perpetual calendar, described in the lot essay as a unique example assembled in 1992.

Evidence for this section
  • “A unique pre-brand minute repeating perpetual calendar wristwatch with moon phases | Circa 1992”
  • “Signed: dial signed Franck Genève and case signed Jean-Pierre Hagmann”
  • “As such it becomes clear that this is very early and very complicated pre-brand wristwatch by Franck Muller, a unique example in fact, the only one of its kind assembled in 1992.”

Case Construction and Jean-Pierre Hagmann Stamp

The case is executed in 18k yellow gold with a snap-on back and measures 37.5 mm in diameter. Visual observation confirms straight lugs and a stepped bezel, while the lot essay notes a slide along the case band denoting the minute repeater function.

Internally, the snap-on case back is reported to bear the casemaker stamp "JHP" for Jean-Pierre Hagmann, and the watch is accompanied by a Jean-Pierre Hagmann certificate confirming production of the case. These internal case stamps and the case-band repeating slide are not visible in the provided primary face-on photograph.

Evidence for this section
  • “Case: 18k yellow gold, snap-on case back”
  • “Size: 37.5 mm diameter”
  • “inside, once the snap-on case back is prised off, one will find a stamp ‘JHP’. To many this will be recognised as a simple case makers stamp but to the discerning it has a far greater meaning. It is the mark in fact of Jean-Pierre Hagmann”
  • “Accessories: setting pin and Jean-Pierre Hagmann Certificate confirming production of the case”

Dial Display and Movement Details

The silvered dial exhibits a textured finish and four subsidiary registers indicating day, date, month, and moon phases. Black Roman numerals indicate the hours, swept by blued steel hands, with the word "CHRONOMETRE" displayed above the 6 o'clock register.

The movement is listed in the lot details as a jewelled, manual winding caliber. Internal caliber specifications, bridge architecture, and movement serial markings are not documented in the source text or shown in the primary photograph.

Evidence for this section
  • “Textured silvered dial with four subsidiary registers displaying perpetual calendar functions and moon phases”
  • “Dial: silvered”
  • “Calibre: manual winding, jewelled”
  • “Dial signed 'CHRONOMETRE' above the 6 o'clock register and 'FRANCK GENÈVE' across 6 o'clock”

Open research questions

  • What base movement or historical ébauche was used by Franck Muller to construct the minute repeating perpetual calendar mechanism?
  • What markings, caliber numbers, or signatures appear on the movement plates beneath the snap-on case back?
  • What specific technical or chronological information is recorded in the accompanying Jean-Pierre Hagmann case certificate?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Franck Muller Pre-Brand Minute Repeating Perpetual Calendar Wristwatch
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Case material18k yellow gold“Case: 18k yellow gold, snap-on case back”
Case numberN°1“Case number: N°1”
Dial signatureFranck Genève“Signed: dial signed Franck Genève and case signed Jean-Pierre Hagmann”
Casemaker signatureJean-Pierre Hagmann“case signed Jean-Pierre Hagmann”
Movement typeManual winding, jewelled“Calibre: manual winding, jewelled”
Case diameter37.5 mm“Size: 37.5 mm diameter”
Closure18k gold plated unsigned buckle“Closure: 18k gold plated unsigned buckle”
Accompanying accessoriesSetting pin and Jean-Pierre Hagmann Certificate confirming production of the case“Accessories: setting pin and Jean-Pierre Hagmann Certificate confirming production of the case”

Visible details

  • Textured silvered dial with four subsidiary registers displaying perpetual calendar functions and moon phases
  • Blued steel hands and black Roman numerals around the perimeter
  • Dial signed 'CHRONOMETRE' above the 6 o'clock register and 'FRANCK GENÈVE' across 6 o'clock
  • Stepped 18k yellow gold bezel and fluted winding crown at 3 o'clock
  • Straight lugs fitted with a black patterned leather strap

Research qualifications

  • Movement is not visible in the primary photograph.
  • Internal casemaker stamp 'JHP' and case number 'N°1' on the snap-on case back interior are not shown.
  • Repeating slide along the left flank of the case band is turned away from the primary angle.

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

Franck Muller | A unique pre-brand minute repeating perpetual

Reviewed 2026-10-21 · Record 2a7ab7e1d0

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.

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