Combining the watchmaking expertise of Franck Muller and the metalwork skills of S.T. Dupont, the Master Lighter—described as the first skeleton-watch lighter with a power reserve—is a you-need-to-see-it accessory.
The first time anyone saw it was during Franck Muller’s World Presentation of Haute Horlogerie, held in April at its factory in Genthod, outside Geneva. I’m sure there was awe for its cutting-edge micromechanics then.
My first encounter with the Master Lighter was a preview at the Couture jewelry show this spring in Las Vegas, and it felt so exceptional that I marked my calendar for when the product would come out. I likely will never own such an extraordinary object, but it stands out as must-have if you are a watch collector or a fan of S.T. Dupont’s unique lighters, that’s for sure.
The Master Lighter comes in four versions, varying by color. The one with a blue or white face is priced at $66,000; the model with a black face and case costs $68,500; and the Color Dream, with its multicolored numerals, is $76,000. The collaboration is limited to 88 Master Lighters available in each of the four color options.
Here’s why I took note of this special item: On the surface level, the S.T. Dupont x Franck Muller Master Lighter is a stunner. It looks incredibly sophisticated, feels heavy in your hand, and is rather practical in its way. I mean, you need to know the time, and you may need a lighter, so having both in one is a good thing.
But the technical side of the collaboration is its own impressive feat. The Master Lighter’s front side uses Franck Muller’s signature skeleton watch, where the hours and minutes are indicated by central hands enhanced by a sunray-stamped lacquered dial. The lighter’s other side (pictured at top) reveals a second dial, identical in finish to that on the front, that has the seconds hand.
The Master Lighter, which has three days of power reserve, is even cooler to me because of the pipe that passes through the center of the lighter’s gas tank—it connects the movement with the hours and minutes hands.
The two collaborators are different in terms of heritage, but similar in their attention to detail and style. S.T. Dupont, established in 1872 by Simon Tissot Dupont, is known for its high-end accessories crafted in Faverges in the French Alps. It made its first luxury lighter in 1941. Franck Muller has been around only since 1991, but quickly became renowned as a Swiss luxury watchmaker.
It took more than two years for the companies to develop the Master Lighter, each contributing certain techniques to come up with this intricate object. From the colors to the twin flame to the way a S.T. Dupont lighter pings shut, it is a Master Lighter indeed.
If you are one of the lucky folks to afford this product, be patient. You have to preorder now, and the delivery time is about nine months after S.T. Dupont receives and validates the order.
(Photos courtesy of S.T. Dupont)
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