Franck Muller CEO Nicholas Rudaz Speaks on the Brand’s Direction and Global Presence

In the gilded and frequently self-serious world of haute horlogerie, where centuries-old traditions are guarded with a near-religious zeal, Franck Muller has always ranked amongst the glorious outliers. A successful one at that. Since its founding in 1991, the brand has operated under a singular and defiant mandate: to be the “Master of Complications” without ever losing its sense of play. This is a family-owned firm that views time not as a rigid master, but as a canvas for creativity. This is not just a brand philosophy but what the watches are really like, in the metal. It is a philosophy perhaps best exemplified by the iconic Crazy Hours — a complication born from a desire to break the chronological order of the dial, reportedly inspired by the whimsical, “wacky” realisation that time is ultimately what we make of it, even in the haze of a holiday morning.

At the helm of this creative juggernaut is Nicholas Rudaz, a CEO whose own professional trajectory is as unconventional as the watches he oversees. Rudaz, who joined the company in 2007 and stepped into the CEO role in 2021, does not fit any kind of mould. Born in Switzerland but raised in England, he spent his formative years not in a watchmaker’s atelier, but in the highstakes world of luxury hospitality. His journey famously includes a stint as a barman at the Sydney Opera House in the early 1990s — a period he reflects on with great fondness.

It was there, amidst the clinking of glasses and the diverse stories of international travellers, that Rudaz honed the interpersonal skills and “dream-selling” mentality that now define his leadership at Franck Muller. To Rudaz, selling a high-complication watch is not unlike managing a five-star guest experience; it is about emotion, storytelling and the meticulous attention to detail that creates a lasting memory.

This human-centric approach is what keeps Rudaz on a near-constant global tour. Unlike many of his peers, he is a frequent visitor to Southeast Asia and Australia, often returning to his “old stomping grounds” in Sydney to open new boutiques and engage directly with collectors. His relationship with the press and the market in Thailand is particularly robust; he is one of the few chief executives who makes it a point to visit at least once a year, ensuring the brand remains visible and attuned to the nuances of local preferences.

Our previous conversation with Rudaz (Spring last year) explored his strategic vision for steering the brand’s legacy into a new era while maintaining its fierce independence. Since then, the world of Franck Muller has only grown more expansive — and more surprising. During a recent visit to “Watchland,” the brand’s fairy-tale lakeside estate in Genthod, the spirit of “always staying busy” was on full display. In a move that perfectly captures the brand’s spontaneous creativity, Watchland now houses a chocolate factory. Born from a 600-square-meter canteen space that went unused during the COVID-19 pandemic, the area was transformed into a premium chocolatier at the suggestion of Franck Muller co-founder Vartan Sirmakes. Today, Franck Muller even sells these chocolates online (Japan-only, as far as we know), often personalising them for partners and journalists — a testament to the brand’s belief that luxury should be as delightful as it is complex.

But while chocolate and lifestyle expansions like the Aeternitas Tower in Dubai — the world’s tallest residential branded building, topped with a Franck Muller clock visible from six kilometres away — make headlines, the heart of the maison remains firmly rooted in technical innovation. The current collection maintains a masterful balance between what is cool, what has horological depth and what sells. The Round Triple Mystery, for instance, represents a logical yet daunting evolution of the Mystery series. By adding a third rotating disc for the seconds, watchmakers had to overcome significant energy and torque challenges, utilising a skeletonised aluminium seconds disc measuring a mere 0.3mm thick to ensure the movement remains precise and efficient. Crucially, this complication emerged at the request of one of Franck Muller’s Asia Pacific distributors…

Similarly, the use of avant-garde materials such as those found in the Vanguard Royal Bauxite demonstrates a commitment to durability and aesthetic freedom. Basically, the brand has found a way to use aluminium for cases without compromising on strength, and this unlocked a rainbow of colours, which are not possible with traditional ceramic or carbon. This focus on colour and wearability extends to the new Vanguard Sfumato Slim, which addresses the growing consumer demand for smaller and thinner timepieces without sacrificing the bold dial artistry the brand is known for.

As we sit down with Rudaz once again, he reflects on three of the “five C’s” of the brand: Creativity, Complications and “Cool” — the intangible quality that keeps clients coming back. In this interview, we dive deeper into the brand’s unique strategy for the Asia-Pacific market, the technical hurdles of its latest complications and why, for Franck Muller, the most important rule is often knowing when to break one.

Outside of the novelties, what is new at Franck Muller?

We make chocolate. Did I tell you that? When we built the extension at Watchland, we planned one big canteen for everyone. But because this was the middle of the pandemic, we decided that maybe it’s not a good idea to have one big canteen. So, we were left with this big space, like 600 square metres, not knowing what to do. And Vartan said, let’s make chocolate. So, we went looking for the best chocolate makers in France. We actually sell it online. We also gift it, of course, when people come and visit the factory. And we can also personalise the chocolate to the distributor, to the shop and to the journalist.

And then another thing that’s going on in Dubai: We have a tower being built. It’s the tallest residential branded building in the world, sponsored by Franck Muller. And on the top, we will have a large Franck Muller clock that is visible from at least six kilometres. It will be called Aeternitas Tower. So, you’re asking about what else we are doing other than making watches? We do a lot. We like to stay busy. You asked the right question.

Why are there more limited editions for Asia Pacific than the other markets?

I think you know more about the Southeast Asian limited editions because it’s your market. Effectively, we do other limited editions for the Middle East, for South America, for Europe. We did the Snoopy limited edition with Bamford as well. So, we do quite a lot of limited editions in various markets, but Southeast Asia is one of our biggest markets and they are the most creative as well. We work closely with Cortina and Pendulum to make limited editions. And if you have any other suggestions for a new limited edition in Thailand, we’ll be happy to consider.

In terms of materials and colours, you have been quite successful and creative. The Vanguard Royal Bauxite has so many hues, for example. Can you tell us more about the practical advantages offered by using this aluminium alloy?

Absolutely. We’ve been bringing in a lot of new materials and that allows us to make new designs. And with the aluminium, it’s being treated in such a way that it’s become much stronger than any other material. I’m comparing it with steel before anything else. And it’s actually extremely solid and light. And the exceptional (property) of the aluminium is to be able to design all the colours imaginable. With carbon, you’re limited. With ceramic, you’re limited. With titanium, you’re limited. But with aluminium, everything is possible. That’s why in our collection we have incredible colours: green, orange, pink, violet, yellow. You name it, we have it.

Let us also ask you about the size, because right now a lot of our consumers are asking for smaller watches.

Absolutely. We’ve also realised the importance of having smaller watches. And we do have smaller watches available on different markets. And today we’ve come out with this Vanguard Sfumato Slim in 41 and 43 mm sizes. The thickness of the Sfumato is much thinner. It’s a totally in-house movement with a beautiful open back and very comfortable on the wrist.

The Sfumato has proven to be a very popular new collection this year, sfumato being a term used in the artistic world to talk about the differences in contrast from light to dark, dark to light. This is in reference to the dial, which we have in four different colours. And the straps are in either suede or the combination of crocodile top and rubber lining. This makes it more interesting to wear in humid weather like in Thailand.

And your new Round Triple Mystery is simply fabulous. It is a logical continuation from its predecessors.

Thank you very much. And of course, so instead of having the hands, you have two plates, one for the hours, one for the minutes. And, yeah, the Double Mystery has been incredibly successful over the years, so now we are progressing into the Triple Mystery. So, we are adding the seconds plate, which was a big challenge technically to achieve. It’s heavier and drains energy, of course. So, the barrel has been made to give it a little bit more energy, more torque.

What would be the one quality that will enable Frank Muller to be competitive against the other brands in the coming years?

Creativity has always been in our DNA from the very beginning: in the complications, in the designs, in the shapes of the cases. We’ve always been extremely creative in our fun complications as well. I was speaking to one journalist in Sydney. He summarised it all very well. He was talking about Franck Muller and the five C’s: creativity, complications, cool, which may sound not very horological, but it’s a true reason why a lot of our clients buy… I’ve forgotten the other two things. But it was very interesting. Very true.

This story was first seen as part of the WOW #83 Spring 2026 Issue

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