The Franck Muller Group, the Swiss luxury watchmaking company, is negotiating to buy the German luxury watch brand Martin Braun. A spokesman for Franck Muller confirmed the talks to JCK, but declined to give details until, and if, the deal is completed—possibly within the next month.

Swiss press reports and Braun himself, in published reports, confirmed the talks.

Martin Braun GmbH, established in 2000, produces about 1,000 handcrafted mechanical watches annually, and has a staff of 15.

Best known for its complication watches with astronomical themes, a Martin Braun timepiece recently won the technical innovation award for the third year in a row in competitions organized by European watch magazines.

Formerly in Straubenhardt, near Pforzheim, Germany, Martin Braun GmbH recently moved its watchmaking shop to Porrentruy, Switzerland, an old watchmaking town in the heart of the Swiss Jura, to be nearer suppliers and to get the “Swiss Made” label for his watches. Its American office, Martin Braun USA, is in Austin, Texas.

If the deal is finalized, Braun would be the third fine watchmaker the growing Franck Muller luxury watch group, headquartered near Geneva, Switzerland, has purchased since 2005. The other two were French brand Alexis Barthelay and the Swiss brand Rodolphe. Other top luxury brands in the Group’s portfolio include its popular signature brand Franck Muller, Pierre Kunz and European Company Watch. The group, which also has jewelry brand, plans to open a watchmaking/business park in northern Switzerland later this year.

JCK