Deep NanoTube Titanium Carbon-Graphene Composite…
Baselworld 2011 – FRANC VILA unveiled a new collection named “Intrepido” which introduces the second evolution of its very characteristic “espirit unique” watchcase design. The new Intrepido collection is features a tourbillon watch as well as a chronograph with complete calendar — both built in new titanium-based nanotechnological materials. This evening I will cover the Tourbillon Intrepido model, including a short “hands on” video, courtesy of Franc Vila.
The FVi Nº 7 Tourbillon Intrepido is an extremely light timekeeper thanks to the use of state of the art high-end performance materials in the movement and case. The Tourbillon Intrepido is a mono-block watchcase made of either “NanoTube Titanium” (35% less dense than regular titanium) or “Deep NanoTube Titanium Carbon-Graphene Composite” material, as are the movement base plate and bridges, while all the screws are made in NanoTube Titanium. I’ll forgive your for thinking this “nanotechnology” stuff is gimmicky, but bear in mind that Vila is a trained chemist who has a great passion for developing and working these case materials — which is why I give him the benefit of the doubt.
Franc Vila FVi Nº 7 Tourbillon Intrepido
Ultra-limited to 8 pieces
“Intrepido” case shape, FV Nº 7 calibre (automatic mechanical), tourbillon with day & night three-dimensional indication (at 9 o’clock), on a black rubber Franc Vila strap
Franc Vila FVi Nº 7 Tourbillon Intrepido Hands-On
Finally, if you have not already seen it, be sure to check out my review of the Franc Vila A8 Big Date Chronograph watch, here.
viva México!
20-year old Mexican GP2 driver Sergio Pérez announced on October 4 that he will debut in F1 next year with the Sauber team. Pérez’s ascension to the highest level of global auto racing was quickly rewarded by Spanish-born Swiss watchmaker Franc Vila, who created a special edition watch for the rising star. The watch features the colors of the Mexican flag to celebrate the bicentenary of the independence of Mexico and the dial shows the initials of Sergio Pérez instead of the numbers 1 and 11 to acclaim his victories in this year’s GP2 championship.
Franc Vila Official Watch for F1 Driver Sergio Pérez
Strap is black or white crocodile leather strap with red and green stitchings (rubber sport strap also included) . Also available with double side crocodile leather straps (inner part in red or green, outer part in red or green).
The timepiece is equipped with an automatic movement with chronograph functions and a “big date” calendar in a double window, and is available in a limited edition of 28 pieces.
Sergio Perez receives the watch from Franc Vila (right)
I am excited to have finally gotten my hands on a Franc Vila watch. While this particular model was not my favorite color scheme, I really enjoyed reviewing it. The construction is rock solid. The design is unique. Great strap, too. As you will see it is a massive watch with a massive wrist presence — it would make an excellent wrist weapon if you ever got in a pinch (seriously). Price will be somewhere near $20,000. In other words, this is not a watch for discerning individuals in any sense. All in all, reviewing this watch has really cemented my appreciation for Franc Vila and his watches, and I definitely would like to own a Franc Vila watch one day. Here is the video review and some pictures below. Thanks for watching.
Franc Vila a8 Big Date Chronograph Video Review
Franc Vila a8 Big Date Chronograph Photos
Thanks to Luxury Montres for loaning me the timepiece. If you are interested in purchasing this watch, just holla and I’ll get you hooked up.
All the watch news that’s fit to print….
It goes without saying that for each watch featured here daily on the Perpetuelle.com Blog, there are several more we are not able to write about (for any number of reasons). But that’s not to say you can’t easily keep up on all of the latest watch news, because you can….by visiting the Press Release Feed on Perpetuelle.com’s World Watch Forum. Yes, the Perpetuelle.com Press Release Feed features official press releases from a diverse lineup of watch brands —> and it’s only a click away <—
So — here is the news for the week of August 23, 2010 (in no particular order) that was not already featured here on the blog – click through if you are interested in full details on any of these:
- Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo & Le Mans Series
- Hysek Opens Flagship Store in Singapore
- Jaeger-LeCoultre Book: Extreme Watches for an Extreme World
- New Swiss Brand: Codex
- Franc Vila FVa35 SuperSonico 5 Minutes Repeater, Superligero Concept
- Roger Dubuis Excalibur Automatic Tourbillon
- The Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad
- BALL Trainmaster Worldtime COSC
- Romain Jerome honoured by India’s prestigious Watch World Awards 2010
An extreme looking minute repeater…
It was in 2008 that Franc Vila launched his Superligero Concept collection. The common element in all the timepieces introduced under this collection is the use of Lightnium, an aluminium-lithium based alloy used in state of the art aeronautical engineering — generally speaking, the alloy is super light but super strong. According to Vila, Lightnium also offers good “sonority” aka it makes the 5 minute repeater mechanism sound very nice. Like all Franc Vila watches, these watches are very extreme, but cool, looking (have you seen the EVOS 8 Estrella Roja?). But for the right personality (and bank account–prices start around $15,000 and up from there), they will be a perfect match. This particular model is the FVa35 SuperSonico 5 Minute Repeater. It has a gnarly looking skeletonized dial that chimes every 5 mins. Not sure on price, but probably well past $30,000. Limited to 88 pieces.
Be sure to check out my other coverage of Franc Vila watches, here. I hope to one day meet Franc Vila the man — he seems like a very passionate watch guy.
Also — stay tuned for my video review of the Franc Vila FVa8 Chronograph — Dog days of summer and other activities have it on the backburner for now, but just as soon as I allocate the time to edit the video I will get it posted.
Now here’s a commemorative piece!
Spanish-inspired, Swiss-made brand FRANC VILA today announced a special edition of its successful “Cobra” collection to celebrate the first Spanish football World Cup win. It is an awesome looking watch! Christened “Estrella Roja” (red star), this release is limited to 88 pieces (as are most of FV’s models) and features the Spanish squad colors and a star at the 1 o’clock position commemorating the triumph.
Franc Vila EVOS 8 Cobra “Estrella Roja”
“Esprit Unique” shape case/bezel in steel and carbon-fiber, chronograph with big date, water resistant 300 meters, carbon fiber dial; comes on a black crocodile leather strap with red + yellow stitchings (rubber strap also included)
The Spanish founder of the Swiss brand Mr. Franc Vila himself went on the record:
I am extremely happy with the achievement of the spanish football squad in South Africa. This victory has been a dream for a long time in Spain and I am very proud of the football players that have made this dream a reality. I decided to create a special collection commemorating our first football championship with a star in place of the number one, and I hope to add more stars in the future.
Very nicely done, Mr. Vila!
New colors in the brand’s Cobra collection…
Exclusive Spanish watchmaker Franc Vila is always worth keeping an eye on (see my prior writeups on his watches here and here). His watches are unmistakable due to their very unique design and shape. I think the Cobra collection was first unveiled last year, and this year we see some exciting new colors in this particular model, the Big Date Automatic. Yellow is my favorite, but there is also blue and red-accents this year, and I thought they would be worth sharing here.
Cobra “Yellow”
The case on these watches is a combination of what Vila calls “DieHard Extreme Steel” and carbon-fiber, with titanium accents. Water resistant 300 meters. Movement is an automatic mechanical hand finished Caliber FV8Ch with Franc Vila’s unique “Gold Concept Rotor”. Dial is also a combination of carbon fiber and guilloché (decorated) metal, with chronograph and “Big date” indicators. Comes on a black rubber strap with steel deployant buckle and as a nice bonus a crocodile leather strap with matching stitchings is also included. Price will be about $20,000. All are limited to just 88 pieces.
Cobra “Blue Bandido” (exclusive to the U.S.)
Cobra “Red Bandido”
Just in time for Christmas 2009, “ultra-exclusive” watchmaker Franc Vila will be introducing its first ladies watch, the FRANC VILA FVt28 Jumping Hours Automatique “Ivy Edition”, available in 2 variations (blue and white). As I stated back July when I wrote about Franc Vila’s FVa15 Column Regulator Automatique with Meteorite and Sapphire Glass Dial , I tend to find Franc Vila’s watches as interesting (and as technical) as his watch names, and this watch is no exception. Intimidating names aside, this watch has great visual appeal – in addition to the diamond paved lugs and bezel, you can see the “ivy” motif incorporated into the beautiful blue or white mother-of-pearl dial. I can only imagine how spectacular these watches must look in person! And as with all Franc Vila watches, the FRANC VILA FVt28 Jumping Hours Automatique “Ivy Edition” is based on Vila’s signature case shape that is highly identifiable and recognizable.
“Looks” aside (though this will is clearly the primary selling point of the watch), the watch is technically interesting as well because it has a a function (or “complication” in watch parlance) known as a “jumping hour.” A “jumping hour” watch operates by means of display in which the hour, shown through an aperture (located at the 12 o-clock position in the photos above), instantly changes every 60 minutes.
Overall, this looks to be a nice first step into the world of “ladies watches” for Franc Vila – a beautiful combination of form and function from the Spanish master! Price is about $32,000 in Blue and $20,000 in White.
Full Specs:
Case – Blue Edition: DieHard Extreme Steel. 387 diamonds (2.45 cts, quality TW VVS pure): bezel fully paved with diamonds and lugs paved with diamonds. 2 blue sapphires in frontal part of bezel. Special “Esprit Unique” shape with elliptic and circular bezel. Crystal and caseback both in sapphire with double sided anti-glare treatment. Water resistant 100 meters.
White Edition: DieHard Extreme Steel. 91 diamonds (0.70 cts) in the internal part of the bezel. 2 diamonds in frontal part of bezel.
Movement – High Grade Mechanical Self-Winding hand finished complicated movement Caliber FV28. 27 rubies. FRANC VILA Exclusive “Gold Concept Rotor”. Power reserve of 42 hours.
Functions -Jumping hours, minutes and seconds.
Dial -Blue Edition: Blue mother-of-pearl with printed floral decoration. 8 indexes set with diamonds. Hours window at 12′. Small seconds at 6′.
White Edition: White mother-of-pearl with printed floral decoration. 8 indexes set diamonds. Hours window at 12′. Small seconds at 6′.
Strap -Genuine Alligator hand stitched strap. DieHard Extreme Steel buckle (not folding).
by Kyle Stults on September 23, 2009
34 Distinct One-of-Kind Pieces Estimated to Auction At $10,000 to as much as $735,000
Less than 24 hours from “hammer time” and we wanted to share with you the “suggested” prices for each of the 34 “Only Watch” watches in case you are thinking about putting in a bid.
But first, what a difference two years social media can make for a special event such as this! The watch blogosphere has been buzzing for months with excitement over the 34 unique pieces that will be auctioned in Monaco less than 24 hours from now in what is sure to be a spectacular event. In fact we learned just yesterday that the event will be live-Tweeted by watch journalist Beth Doerr – so put her in your Twit-Stream now (Twitter: @doerrelizabeth)!!
If you follow watches, it is highly unlikely that you haven’t come across a blog or forum post highlighting one or all of these watches – of course First In Watches was the first to kick things off back in early-June with our feature article giving you a first look at each of the 34 pieces (see: ONLY WATCH 2009 – 34 One-of-a-Kind Watches), and since then we have gone more in-depth on some of our favorites including the following: MB&F’s Sage Vaughn HM-2, Bovet’s 3-in-1 Mona Lisa Watch, Tourneau’s Jump Hour, Piaget’s Emperador Coussin, Louis Vuitton’s Tambour, Chanel’s J12 Joallerie with pink sapphire, and Blancpain’s 500 Fathoms. Some of our watch-blogging friends have also written some good articles about their favorites, too. In particular we enjoyed this recent article from Hodinkee with some great pics of some of the more “unique” unique pieces including Cabestan’s Winch Tourbillon Vertical, Confrere Horlogere’s La Clef du Temps Tourbillon, and MB&F’s Sage Vaugh HM-2.
So what are the “odds” on what these watches will sell for? Due to their rarity and the fact that there is now reserve price, it really is hard to say! But here is where the bidding is likely to start, courtesy of Patrizzi & Co. who will be running the auction:
- Confrerie Horlogere $514,500 – $735,000
- Cabestan $411,600 – $514,500
- Patek Philippe $264,600 – $470,400
- Bovet $147,000 – $220,500
- Cartier $132,300 – $220,500
- Audemars Piguet $132,300 – $220,500
- De Bethune $132,300 – $205,800
- Breguet $117,600 – $176,400
- Tag Heuer $102,900 – $132,300
- MB&F $102,900 – $176,400
- Van Cleef & Arpels $102,900 – $132,300
- Ateliers deMonaco $88,200 – $132,300
- Louis Vuitton $88,200 – $132,300
- Ulysse Nardin $88,200 – $132,300
- Chanel $73,500 – $88,200
- Montblanc $66,150 – $88,200
- Piaget $51,450 – $73,500
- Franck Muller $51,450 – $73,500
- Bell & Ross $51,450 – $73,500
- Gerald Charles $51,450 – $73,500
- Omega $44,100 – $73,500
- Chaumet $36,750 – $51,450
- Vacheron Constantin$36,750 – $51,450
- Franc Vila $29,400 – $58,800
- Girard-Perregaux $29,400 – $44,100
- Hermes $29,400 – $44,100
- deLaCour $29,400 – $44,100
- Jaquet Droz $22,050 – $36,750
- Tourneau $22,050 – $36,750
- Blancpain $22,050 – $36,750
- Hublot $22,050 – $36,750
- Corum $17,640 – $29,400
- Frederique Constant $11,760 – $23,520
- Zenith $10,290 – $17,640
In closing, First In Watches will leave you with this cool “Only Watch preview” video produced by TheTimeTV, which is probably as close as most watch fans will ever come to these amazing watches:
by Kyle Stults on July 24, 2009
Limited edition of 88 pieces with Meteorite Dial
Here is a new watch from ultra-exclusive Spanish watchmaker Franc Vila – the “FVa15 Column Regulator Automatique”. I tend to find Franc Vila’s watches as interesting as his watch names. As with many watchmakers who defy the conventional, Franc Vila’s watches do not win the hearts of every watch enthusiast. But there is no denying the uniqueness of this watch and its reflection of the Franc Vila style, right down to his signature “espirit unique” shaped watch case. Also neat about this watch is the use of meteorite and sapphire glass in the dial – perhaps a reflection of Mr Vila’s education in chemistry and thus a unique perspective and understanding of materials such as these.
The timekeeper is equipped with the FRANC VILA FV15 automatic calibre, which features regulator function indicating hours, minutes and seconds, and the additional indication of date in a window in the dial.
Case: Bezel in DieHard Extreme Steel. Carrure in titanium. Special “Esprit Unique” shape with elliptic and circular bezel. Crystal and caseback both in sapphire with double sided anti-glare treatment. Water resistant to 100 meters.
Movement: High Grade Mechanical Self-Winding hand finished complicated movement Caliber FV15. FRANC VILA Exclusive “Gold Concept Rotor”. Power reserve of 42 hours.
Dial: Meteorite, brushed metal, and sapphire glass. Date indication at 3′.
Straps: Rubber sport straps with DieHard Extreme Steel deployant buckle. Crocodile leather straps also included.
source: Franc Vila.
