In an industry dominated by large conglomerates and mass-produced “luxury” watches, the hand-crafted works of art being produced by small-scale artisans like Michal Molnar and Igor Fabry are becoming increasingly rare and precious. The Slovakian duo of certified jewelers and goldsmiths launched their namesake brand Molnar Fabry in 2005. Specialized in bespoke skeletonized, engraved, and gem-set mechanical timepieces, each timepiece is unique and crafted in collaboration with the client.
The wondrous craftsmanship displayed by the Molnar Fabry Grand Master Skeleton leaves one in awe of how the immaculate work of art was handmade without any machinery.
While the movement specifications, design cohesion, and historical clout are often details that watch connoisseurs look out for instead of the number of gems the bezel is packing, this dedicated jewelry timepiece is quite a separate league to judge.
The Molnar Fabry Grand Master Skeleton began as a plain Jane ETA 6498-2 movement; with its large bridges scroll worked to providing a larger canvass for the artists. This caliber has then been painstakingly skeletonized by hand into an Art Nouveau inspired floral motif, black rhodium-plated, and hand-engraved to such intricacy that the work appears organic and flowing, almost perfect even under macro photography. Molnar Fabry refer to this style as “banknote engraved,” the siderography technique of fine, hard-to-duplicate engravings on steel to prevent counterfeiting.
Artistic engravings aside, the Molnar Fabry Grand Master Skeleton is set with a myriad of gemstones. Set into the bezel, lugs, and crown are 222 diamonds totaling 3.58 carats, each of a top-notch grade; VVS/F. The dial’s rehaut boasts another 11 emeralds totaling 0.15 carats as the indices on the timepiece. Directly set into the main plate near 10 o’clock is a 0.51 carat “forest green” Zambian emerald, one of the cleanest and most color saturated of all emeralds.
The 44mm case of the Molnar Fabry Grand Master Skeleton measures is crafted of 18k palladium white gold, safe for those with nickel allergies. The dial and caseback are both covered with sapphire glass, with floral motifs lining the sides to match the dial. The elegant spade-shaped hands are crafted out of 18k yellow gold, manufactured in-house by Molnar Fabry with a matte finished top and mirror-polished blades.
The Molnar Fabry Grand Master Skeleton is matched with a handmade stingray black leather strap by the French watch strap specialist ABP Paris. The pebbled texture creates a strong aesthetic link between the strap and diamond-set case. Leaving no stone un-bejeweled, the strap is fitted with an 18k palladium white gold buckle, set with 26 VVS/F-grade diamonds of 0.6 carats. The buckle is finished with a floral motif gracing the brand’s name in beautiful cursive script, evident of how attention is paid to the smallest details.
While watches like the Molnar Fabry Grand Master Skeleton aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, this is, after all, curated for just one client. For the rest, this watch stands as a testament to Michal and Igor’s remarkable skill as jewelers. The 400 hours of labor for the Molnar Fabry Grand Master Skeleton and the wealth of precious materials used in its construction, even the asking price of €64,000 seems rather reasonable to me for such a one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable timepiece.
Find out more on the watchmaker and their services here.
Model name: Molnar Fabry Grand Master Skeleton
Dial/Case: 44mm diameter, Palladium white gold
Movement: Caliber Eta 6498-2
Power reserve: 56h
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