The Franck Muller Group, the Swiss luxury watchmaker, has expanded its “Watchland” headquarters and watchmaking site in Genthod (outside Geneva) by acquiring an adjacent 250-year-old, 30-acre estate for about $14.4 million. Together, the two sites total 72 acres “dedicated to the watch business” and a visible demonstration of company’s intent to remain in Geneva, said Vartan Sirmakes, Group co-founder and chief executive officer.

The Group owns the luxury watch brands Franck Muller Geneve, Pierre Kunz, European Company Watch, Rodolphe and Alexis Bathelay (the last two purchased in 2005), plus the Franck Muller and Rodolphe jewelry brands. It has been sold in the United States since the 1990s. It produces some 50,000 watches annually. Sales in 2005 tallied some $305 million.