Watch Paparazzi

Boxer Amir Khan spotted wearing Franck Muller

Amir Khan, the Bolton-born former WBA and IBF light-welterweight unified world champion, was photographed in a candid family setting wearing what is unmistakably a Franck Muller Vanguard Chronograph in 18k rose gold, heavily set with diamond pavé across both the case and dial — a configuration that places this reference firmly at the top of the Vanguard hierarchy.

The Franck Muller Vanguard line debuted in the mid-2010s as the Geneva maison's entry into the luxury sport watch market, taking the architecturally distinct cushion-tonneau case that has defined the brand since its founding and translating it into a more robust, contemporary format. The 45mm case in this sighting is executed in 18k rose gold and features an estimated 719 diamonds set across the bezel, lugs, and dial surface — a pavé treatment that leaves only the bold Arabic numerals and the twin chronograph subdials visible amid a field of scintillating stones. The movement powering this piece is Franck Muller's FM 7000 CC automatic calibre, offering column-wheel chronograph control, approximately 42 hours of power reserve, and a 28,800 vph beat rate — serious horological hardware beneath a maximalist exterior.

From a collector standpoint, the fully set Vanguard Chronograph occupies a specific niche: it is not a watch for the subtlety-first collector, but rather a deliberate statement piece that showcases the manufacture's gem-setting atelier capabilities. Franck Muller employs in-house setters in Geneva, and a 719-diamond execution of this complexity represents dozens of hours of skilled labour, which accounts significantly for the price premium over the non-set variants.

Amir Khan's horological taste has long leaned toward bold, high-jewellery pieces, and this Franck Muller Vanguard Chronograph fits that profile precisely. Khan, ranked among the world's top active welterweights by BoxRec and still active on the international boxing circuit, has been spotted across multiple high-profile watch brands throughout his career.

At retail, this configuration is positioned at approximately $93,000 USD, reflecting the combined cost of rose gold case construction, chronograph movement, and extensive diamond setting. On the secondary market, fully set Vanguard Chronographs in rose gold trade in a comparable range, with values holding reasonably steady given the tangible material costs embedded in the piece.