Franck Muller tower: Dubai skyscraper crowned with giant clock unveiled

London Gate, the developer behind the latest “iconic” tower launch in Dubai, is planning to launch further similar-sized projects in the near future, it said on Tuesday.

The developer unveiled the design and interiors for its Franck Muller Aeternitas tower in Dubai Marina, a collaboration with the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer that is billed as the world’s tallest branded residential clock tower.

The launch at Ritz Carlton DIFC took place in a ballroom packed with more than 1,500 people, the majority of whom were brokers.

At 450 metres, the tower will be one of the tallest in the city when completed, and just 22 metres shorter than the world’s tallest residential building, Central Park Tower in New York.

The launch event, which included a curtain-reveal of the tower, unveiled a collection of 649 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as duplexes called Sky Mansions and Sky villas, spread over 106 floors.

The pricing for each apartment is Dh1,800 per square foot, slightly above the average price of Dh1,653 per square foot reported by CBRE in December. The pricing means the entry point for a one-bed starts at Dh1.6 million ($0.44 million). The tower’s total sales value is more than Dh2 billion, London Gate said.

As with every branded building, Franck Muller Aeternitas comes with luxury amenities, including a Zen garden, private cinema, cigar lounge, library, spa, yoga room and 24/7 concierge services.

In what could be considered a reminder of the days when luxury cars were offered with properties to entice buyers, each apartment sold comes with the promise of a limited edition Franck Muller watch.

It won’t, however, be a Franck Muller Aeternitas watch, which are valued at $2.5 million.

“Depending on the apartment you buy – entry-level, mid-level and then expensive – we’re going to do a three-segment depending on which apartment you’re going to get and it will be gifted at the handover,” Erol Baliyan, managing director, Franck Muller MENA & India, told media.

The large clock tower, measuring 40 metres by 30 metres, will be built in Germany by the same company that manufactured Makkah’s clock tower and will be visible from several kilometres away.

“After the clock tower in Makkah, it’s going to be the second biggest clock tower,” Mr Baliyan said.