H. Moser & Cie. and Studio Underd0g Unveil a Fun and Maverick Collaboration: It’s About Passion Fruit
May 2, 2025H. Moser & Cie. and Studio Underd0g Unveil a Fun and Maverick Collaboration: It’s About Passion Fruit
May 2, 2025GRAIL WATCH 2.1: FRANCK MULLER DOUBLE SIDED RATTRAPANTE CHRONOGRAPH “ARABIAN PANDA”
To celebrate Revolution’s latest regional edition, Grail Watch and Franck Muller have created an exclusive double-sided rattrapante chronograph replete with Eastern Arabic numerals, a luminous second dial and other stunning design details.
For over 30 years — since I was a young watch nerd in my 20s — one of my ultimate grails has been the famous Double Sided Chronograph, created by the brilliant Franck Muller.
I’ve always admired Muller’s design genius: by placing a second chronograph hand on the back of the watch, he made it possible to read three different scales — telemeter, tachymeter, and pulsometer — in a massive, oversized format across the entire caseback, delivering unrivaled clarity.
But for years, that watch remained frustratingly out of reach. I’d hear of one at an auction, but by the time I got there, it was either sold, I’d been outbid beyond my modest budget, or it turned out not to be the split-seconds (rattrapante) version I dreamed of — just the standard chronograph.
So, when I launched my company, Grail Watch, in 2021, I did so with a mission: to ask watch brands to turn back the hands of time and resurrect iconic pieces from their archives.
A Middle East Twist
My watch magazine, Revolution, got approval to open a branch in Dubai. For many years, while following the development of the watch market in the Middle East, I’ve been truly impressed by the growth of the business there — and especially the passion and sophistication of Middle Eastern collectors. But I knew one thing: I wanted to publish all our content — in print, online, video, and social media — entirely in Arabic.
I also knew I’d have to search hard to find the right editor-in-chief. I found that person in Abdulla Al Shaer, who is a marvel. He’s a deeply passionate and accomplished watch collector, a fountain of knowledge on cinema, an expert in heavy metal (a passion we share), and a brilliant writer and educator. “Al Shaer” in Arabic means The Great Poet — and it’s fitting. He communicates about watches with insight and evocative brilliance.
When I asked Abdulla what the very first limited edition watch should be to celebrate our Middle East office, I loved that he replied instantly:
“Wei, it must be a Franck Muller Double Sided Rattrapante Chronograph.”
It turned out he shared the same love for this extraordinary timepiece. Then he added, “But it must be different. We must create every index and number on each scale using the Eastern Arabic numerals we use in our culture.”
What followed was nearly a year of back-and-forth correspondence, Zoom calls, and in-person meetings between Rudaz, Glénat, Al Shaer, and myself. Al Shaer explained,
“First, we had to define the typography we used for the numbers. It was important that someone from the Middle East would look at these indexes and scales and say, ‘Wow!’ — because they are beautiful.”
Next, we turned to the overall dial design, which we decided to execute in a “panda-style” format. Glénat made a crucial point:
“When you make a white or silver dial, the texture is incredibly important. We wanted the watch to feel pure yet fresh and modern, so we decided to use a frosted finish on the dial. It gives the watch a beautiful texture, especially under direct light.”
Then, we decided to try something a little unconventional. Both Al Shaer and I had observed how Dubai and much of the Middle East truly come alive at night. Al Shaer explained,
“Because of the heat, people love to gather in the evenings once the sun goes down.”
So I asked him what he thought about making the second dial on the caseback fully luminous, allowing owners to use their chronographs even in the dark. Al Shaer laughed and said it was an amusing idea.
Glénat reflects on the completed watch:
“Honestly, I wasn’t sure about this detail at first, and we had to work closely with our dial maker to get it right. But in the end, it’s this surprising element that I’ve really come to love.”
Rudaz agrees, adding,
“This 20-piece limited edition — created in collaboration with Grail Watch and dedicated to Revolution Arabia, the name of your new edition for the Middle East — is something we at Franck Muller are truly proud of. It reflects Revolution’s ongoing commitment to communicating watch culture at the highest level, in a new territory and in Arabic.”
To me, this new panda-style Double Sided Rattrapante Chronograph is, from a visual standpoint, simply one of the most stunning watches we’ve ever collaborated on. The fact that it serves as a tribute to a region we’re now proud to be part of makes it all the more meaningful.
DOUBLE QUICK TIME
Of all the complications, Franck Muller was especially passionate about the chronograph. His most iconic interpretation of this was the Double Sided Chronograph. He once explained, “I always loved chronographs and was fascinated that, using this sweeping seconds hand, you could read so many different types of information. You could calculate your average speed over a kilometer or mile with a tachymeter. You could determine a person’s heart rate within 15 beats using a pulsometer. And you could gauge the distance to a physical event — for example, start the chronograph when you see lightning strike, and stop it when you hear the sound — using a telemeter.”
He went on to say, “The problem for me was that I always wanted to have all this information on a single chronograph. Some watches tried to place multiple scales on the dial, but they often ended up messy and hard to read.”
Then came his breakthrough idea: “One day, I thought of creating a chronograph with two dials — one on the front and one on the back of the watch. I would design a longer pinion to connect the chronograph hands on both dials. The advantage was clear: the second dial could be dedicated entirely to the scales — tachymeter, telemeter, and pulsometer — making them fully legible and beautifully displayed.”
PRICE
USD 25,500 excluding taxes
AVAILABILITY
Limited and numbered edition of 20 pieces