Franc Vila

Franc Vila Selenity Master Quantième Automatique Watch

For women folk Franc Vila offers up a new watch that again uses their "Cobra" case. With a typical long winded name, the Franc Vila Selenity Master Quantieme Automatique contains a Swiss Dubois Depraz automatic annual calendar with moon phase movement. The real draw are the dials, which are done in various colors of mother-of-pearl in different "frames" to make up almost art deco style designs. They come out looking pretty neat.

As you can see, the large steel case is offered with optional diamond decor on the inner bezel as wel as for the two screws on the bezel. On the back of the case is a view to the gold rotor for the automatic movement. The straps are available as either purple or pink alligator. While large sized for many women, Franc Vila does offer an interesting concept and shape that looks flattering on the wrist.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: franc vila, Selenity Master Quantième, watch, watches

Franc Vila FVt28 Jumping Hours Automatique Ivy Edition Watches

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

From boutique watch maker Franc Vila comes this new collection of women's watches. If you would have told me that he made a woman's watch using his signature case design, I would have been concerned about the result give the aggressive masculine looks that most of his watches have. But seeing the result here I am greeted with something that looks unique and technical - not exactly "aggressive" at all. Though the watch design is complex and deep. It will take the type of woman who can appreciate both beauty and mechanics to understand the charms this watch has.

The oblong shaped DieHard Extreme steel (the story behind this action adventure sounding metal is unknown to me) case comes in two versions for the FVt28, the "White" and the "Blue." The latter having more diamonds all over it with a total 387 stones, while the White version embraces its high polish with 91 diamonds on the bezel and dial. They have white or blue mother-of-pearl dials with applied floral patterns. The White version has diamonds as 5 minute markers on the dial, while the Blue version uses soft looking sapphire orbs on the dial. These aren't used as hour markers because the Fran Vila FV28 movement is a "jumping hour." This means that the automatic mechanical movement has a window that displays the hours digitally on a disc, while the main dial is used for the minutes. There is a smaller subsidiary dial for the seconds. The watch cases are water resistant to 100 meters and have sapphire crystal on both the front and back. The straps and alligator. The automatic rotor for the movement is specially decorated and in gold. Each watch is a limited edition with just 88 pieces each.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: blue, Franc Vila, FrancVila, FV28, FVt28, ivy edition, IvyEdition, watch, wgite

Franc Vila Fva15 Column Regulator Automatic Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Franc Villa Fva15 Column Regulator Automatic Watch

I got to see this watch first hand recently as shown to me by Franc Vila himself. He is very proud of the simple functionality of the regulator style watch dial, but added with the asymmetrical case and meteorite dial. A regulator watch typically has two subdials (for hours and seconds), while the main dial is used for the minutes. You can see that theme being expressed here, but in what you can call a more stylish manner. The dial is partially skeletonized while the oblong nature of the seconds dial gives the watch a unique look.

The case is 48mm wide and in DieHard Extreme steel and titanium. The polishing is very good and the watch feels solid despite the complexity of the case. You'll notice that each Franc Vila watch follows the theme of "circles." With many of them all over the case in various forms. Few watches take the concept of curved lines and apply them as well. The movement is an automatic FV15 caliber with the "gold concept" rotor that all automatic Franc Vila watches have. I like that the watch also includes the date, as many watches of this ilk do not.

The Franc Vila Fva15 Column Regulator watch comes in a limited edition of just 88 pieces - which I think is the standard amount for all limited edition Franc Vila watches. The meteorite is applied well, and overall the watch is a good mix of sporty character and sophisticated visual interest. These are nice high fashion luxury watches that stand out with a different look but are comfortable to own.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: column regulator, ColumnRegulator, franc vila, FrancVila, fva15, meteorite, timepiece, watch

Franc Vila Tourbillon Chronograph SuperLigero Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Franc Vila watches seem to be everywhere in luxury watch news these days. Each new model looks too much like the last model, but that isn't necessarily bad given their still novel look. With a face that reminds me of a skull shape (with the chronograph subdials as eyes), the masters of skeletonization now present a monopusher chronograph flying tourbillon watch model. According to Franc Vila, the key to this new Tourbillon Chronograph SuperLigero watch is the use of nanotechnology. Whatever could they mean?

In this sense they refer to using what I call "micro sculpting." It is an expensive (for now) manner of shaping materials on an atomic particle level. The material used to construct the movement, bridges, and dial is a new material call Lightnium (fancy sounding eh?). It is based on something called Graphene, which is harder than steel and even diamonds. The materials are shaped using nanotechnology to construct the shapes and needed dimensions. At least this is my understanding.

The movement in this luxury creation is a hand-wound FV Number 4 caliber hand-decorated movement. It features the flying (no front bridge) tourbillon and monopusher (one button) chronograph (really hard to read on this watch given the dials). The movement has a solid five day power reserve which you should expect as these prices. The Franc Vila Tourbillon Chronograph SuperLigero is limited to just eight pieces. Arrival should be at Baselworld next month.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Franc Vila Tourbillon Chronograph SuperLigero

Tags: Chronograph, Franc Vila, FrancVila, SuperLigero, timepiece, Tourbillon, watch

Franc Vila Tourbillon Planetaire Skeleton SuperLigero Concept

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Watchmaker Franc Vila has announced a limited edition that is truly limited. At Baselworld 2008, Franc Vila will unveil the FVa Nº 6 Tourbillon Planétaire Skeleton SuperLigero Concept. The watch's movement has been built for the first time ever in an Aluminium-Lithium based alloy christened ''lightnium''. The new material is an extremely low density metal that is light and has high tensile strength, By using an extremely low density material and reducing the movement to its minimum expression, it is made into a skeleton and the lightness of this new material means that the movement is less affected by inertial forces making it one sporty skeleton tourbillon. There will be just eight of these made.

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Tags: franc vila, FrancVila, timepiece, watch, wristwatch