The Master Lighter by Franck Muller & S.T. Dupont

United for the first time by a shared passion for art and innovation, Franck Muller and S.T. Dupont unveil the Master Lighter, a remarkable combination of Haute Horlogerie and the art of goldsmithing. This exceptional lighter, incorporating a skeleton watch with a power reserve, is the result of more than two years of development and marks a first in the history of both houses. This unique alliance blends Franck Muller's watchmaking expertise with S.T. Dupont's art goldsmithing.

The Master Lighter stands out for its skeleton movement, a signature feature of Franck Muller, cleverly combined with a lighter to reveal a double-sided watch. This creation, offering a three-day power reserve, is ingeniously integrated into the lighter's mechanism, representing an exceptional technical achievement.

Adorned with central hands indicating the hours and minutes, the lighter's front face features a sunburst and lacquered dial, manufactured in the pure tradition of Franck Muller dial making. The technical feat is that the hands' axis traverses the lighter, passing through the center of the gas reservoir.

The opposite face of the lighter reveals the skeleton movement of the watch in all its splendor, illustrating Franck Muller's mastery of watch complications, with a system allowing the central second display on this face. In a final refinement, a second dial with finishes identical to the front face is revealed behind the mechanical components of the skeleton movement.

Every detail of this masterpiece reflects the heritage and unique expertise of Franck Muller, combined with the goldsmithing mastery of S.T. Dupont. The Master Lighter thus represents the excellence of two houses, where two unique crafts find a new expression in this unique object, a true fusion of traditional craftsmanship and innovation.

Offered in a limited series of 88 units per shade, the Master Lighter collection consists of four exceptional lighters, adorned with the iconic numerals of Franck Muller, known for their distinctive shape. The White variant stands out with its silver dial featuring a sunburst pattern. The Blue model echoes Franck Muller's signature blue. The Black version, more modern in appearance, is remarkable for its luminova-applied numerals. Finally, the Color Dream model features the brand's colored numerals, complemented on the back by a skeleton movement in aluminum, specially crafted to highlight the vivid colors on the front of the lighter. Priced at CHF 58'800.

These exceptional pieces are presented exclusively at the international salon The World Presentation of Haute Horlogerie from April 9 to 13, 2024, at the Franck Muller manufacture in Genthod.

About S.T. Dupont

Founded in 1872, in Faverges, where its workshops are still located, by Simon Tissot Dupont, a Savoyard entrepreneur who tried his hand at Champagne and luxury carriages before finding his calling in leatherwork and becoming the luggage maker to the world's elite, S.T. Dupont is a symbol of French savoir-vivre with its elegant lighters, pens, bags, and accessories.

Encouraged by Empress Eugenie, the house developed its first travel kits, before the Dupont sons, driven by family daring, launched into the manufacture of custom luxury trunks and small accessories after the war. Among their clients was the whimsical Maharaja of Patiala, who commissioned a unique piece - a minaudière containing a small lighter for each of his favorites - leading to the first luxury gas lighter. Its patent was filed by S.T. Dupont in the 1940s.

In the early 1970s, it was the house's first luxury ballpoint pen that captivated Jackie Kennedy, followed by the Riviera bag, a staple for Audrey Hepburn. A friend of stars and artists, notably Picasso, S.T. Dupont is primarily celebrated for its expertise and mastery of ancient techniques, which it constantly reinvents. Among these hallmarks are guilloché and goldsmithing, as well as Chinese lacquer applied to metal using a closely guarded method. Today, more creative and innovative than ever, S.T. Dupont embodies timeless elegance and artisanal excellence.