Franck Muller's Long Island Evolution Master Jumper

Franck Muller's Long Island Evolution Master Jumper Ref. LI 35 MJ SQT NR BR(VR)



The Nagashima received a major upgrade and a new triple jump complication was added.

Before we discuss Franck Muller’s latest release any further, I must state that I’m biased, as Long Island was one of my first real exposures to fine watchmaking. It remains one of my favorite watch designs, especially when combined with Franck Muller’s Crazy Hours complication.

In fact, Franck Muller, in general, has an excellent track record when it comes to pure time watches or time and date watches, whether it be the Casablanca, the Long Island or its iconic Cintrée Curvex. The addition of a tourbillon or multi-axis tourbillon will undoubtedly enhance the elegance of a three-hand watch. There is no doubt that watchmakers have a flair for complications, but I find that their design language is best conveyed through simple timepieces.

Jump display
This is perhaps why, for the 2024 Long Island revival, watchmakers have introduced three different time-only or time-and-date references in vastly different displays. The most important of these is the Master Jumper, a new triple jump complication that is a statement piece (and a watchmaking record). While triple jumps do exist in perpetual calendars, these are calendar-only instantaneous triple jumps that only coincide once a month.

When it comes to jump displays in chronographs, the Zeitwerk Date is closest to the Franck Muller Master Jumper, although it's better than the latter in one way: it's a large date display, which means there are two date discs. The Master Jumper uses a total of five discs to display the hours (one disc), minutes (two discs) and date. This does make it an impressive sport, as the energy required to drive five discs (or even four or three) over and over again is enormous and also results in some amplitude drops each time it happens . This may affect accuracy.

Franck Muller overcame this problem with an unusual dual barrel system, where one barrel powers the date display and gear train, and the other drives only the time display. By splitting the two sources (such as karrusel), the impact on accuracy can be reduced. Unfortunately, this also comes with a different cost – power reserve. The Caliber FM 3100 has a 30-hour battery life, which is more than enough if you wear the watch every day, but winding the watch will be a minor daily hassle.

new long island
I've been asking Franck Muller for about five years (or more) if they would update the Long Island case. It’s not that the original Long Island looks dated, but it does feel a step behind when it comes to architecture, materials, and development. The new Long Island Evolution (Franck Muller really likes the Evolution) certainly changes all that. Featuring a black PVD-coated brushed titanium case and an aluminum inner case, the watch is lightweight and extremely modern. If you consider the bright green anodization of the inner shell, it almost looks like a TRON.

This additional structure is designed to enhance the watch’s shock protection and matches the skeletonized display. Transparency, movement, and trend are the highlights of this collection, which is almost completely opposite to the Art Deco and romantic styles that originated in Novocento, Long Island. However, if you put the two together, you'll see how closely one is tied to the other. The same softly rounded edges, short lugs for easy wearing, and a curved case structure that hugs the wrist, all combine beautifully.

There are two other models in the collection, one of which is the Giga Tourbillon and the other is a pure chronograph with a 7-day power reserve. The latter is yet another interesting piece; this design was previously used on vintage classic Franck Muller watches, but has been given a modern redesign with new hour markers and a black finish on the movement plate. All in all, this is the evolution many people have been waiting for.