Franc Vila was born in Valencia, Spain and after studying science, art, and philosophy he started crafting high-end leather goods which fully immersed him in the world of luxury. At the same time, his fascination for mechanical timepieces led him to learn horology and launch a namesake watch brand in 2004 after creating his very own first timepiece. With his love for horology and the ambition to create one of the most beautiful watches ever imagined, he combined functionality with a unique upsidedown ‘figure eight’ design inspired by the world of ‘luchadores’ —Mexican professional wrestlers.
Posts filed under Other Brands
News: Frederique Constant Highlife Perpetual Calendar 18K Gold
For over 30 years, Frederique Constant has developed luxury Swiss Made timepieces accessible to as many people as possible. Today, the brand presents the new Highlife Perpetual Calendar Manufacture in 18K rose gold. This very special timepiece is one for discerning collectors and will be limited to just 30 pieces. Created in 1999, the Highlife collection is making its comeback in 2020, having been entirely overhauled. Its distinctive redesigned case houses a dial decorated with a globe motif. Symbolizing the Earth, the perfection of the circle, it is also the icon of a new generation that shares the same ideal for saving the planet, sustainable and sensible living.
News: Presenting the Christophe Claret X-TREM-1 Azteca
This iconic work of Aztec art proudly adorns the new X-TREM-1. This timepiece including the "Stone of the Sun" in relief, made of solid gold entirely hand-engraved, will be offered as a Unique Piece at the SIAR 2020. Driven as ever by a determination to present avant-garde timepieces, 5N red gold and black grade 5 PVD titanium were the metals chosen to make the case of this new version of the X-TREM-1 Azteca.
News: Czapek & Cie. Place Vendôme 'Al-Kanz' in Support of the Emirates Foundation
Czapek & Cie teams up with Arab Watch Club to create a unique piece, a Place Vendôme model with an exceptional Zoisite —a mineral that includes several gem varieties such as Tanzanite— dial. This watch will be auctioned by Christie's in order to support Emirates Foundation which is an independent organization set up by the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to facilitate public-private funded initiatives to improve the welfare of youth across the UAE and encourage them to embrace the concept of volunteerism.
Insider: L’Epée 1839 'Pancho Villa' Pistol Clock
Only the clock masters at L’Epée 1839 could’ve thought of creating a mechanical table clock shaped after a smoking revolver. After numerous collaborations with MB&F, the oldest and most reputable clockmaker in Switzerland teamed up with The Unnamed Society —whose motto is “Create the impossible that cannot be imagined”— to come up with what has never been done before.
News: Presenting the Kudoke 2 Nocturne Limited Edition
Stefan Kudoke’s passion for watchmaking handcraft began at an early age when two skilled master craftsmen imbued in him an appreciation and love of the mechanical processes of timekeeping. Although not born into a long family tradition in watchmaking, Stefan finished his studies by graduating with honors. He continued to study and refine his skills at the Glashütte Original manufacture in the studio for complications and prototypes. He then continued his professional development in the service department for Breguet, Blancpain, and Omega in New York. But that is not the end of the story.
News: Presenting the Genus GNS1.2 TD Damascene Titanium
After inventing a new way of telling time, without dials or hands, Genus introduces a timepiece in Damascene Titanium. It is a rare material in Haute Horlogerie. An ancient technique that involves a savoir-faire as challenging as it is subtle. It is called Mokume-gane in Japan, where the method has been used for making katana sword blades since the 17th century. In the heart of the forge, the hammering and folding of layer upon layer of titanium is a craft reserved for the best.
News: Presenting the Krayon Anywhere. Displaying the Time of Sunrise and Sunset Anywhere.
Krayon is a very new independent watch brand founded three years ago in Neuchâtel and their first release was the watch called Everywhere. A year later, the Everywhere would bring them the 2018 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève Innovation Watch Prize. Krayon was launched by Rémi Maillat a watch design engineer and watchmaker. Krayon's approach was born from a dream of having a mechanical movement, adjustable by hand, that would make it possible to read the time of sunrise and sunset in any place in the world.
News: Presenting the Lundis Bleus 'Vipera Aspis Blue Green' ref. 1120 Unique Piece
Lundis Bleus is a two-men operation to this day. An independent brand that started out of a conversation between two watch school friends. Johan Storni and Bastien Vuilliomenet met in 1994 while attending the watchmaking school of La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland. We still remember the first time we meet with Bastien in 2018 at the lobby of the Hotel Euler in Basel, Switzerland and we were quite impressed with their watches —considering the price point— but mostly by the quality of their dials. It was back in November 2016 when they released their first watch ref. 1100.
News: Introducing the Ressence Type 1DXB in Collaboration with Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons
Ressence, the Belgian watch company that keeps challenging the status quo of mechanical watchmaking, in close collaboration with Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, the UAE’s leading retailer of luxury watches and jewelry, is excited to announce the release of the Type 1 DXB —a limited edition of the Type 1 Squared. The new Ressence in collaboration with Seddiqi is limited to 19 pieces and draws inspiration from Arabic geometric patterns, believed to unveil the underlying reality to the viewer. This traditional design composes with natural light and creates a unique shadow play. It is an Arabic take on skeleton dials.
Rare Bird: Voutilainen Vingt-8. A Perfect Example of the Hand Mastery of Kari Voutilainen.
Kari Voutilainen was born in Finland in 1962 and has a passionate interest in horology spanning thirty years. He completed his initial watchmaker’s training at the world-renowned watchmaking school of Tapiola in Finland. He first came to Switzerland in 1989 to attend the International Watchmaking School, where he completed the WOSTEP complicated watch course, a post-graduate course for those watchmakers dedicated to the restoration of complicated, high-quality rare watches. He was quickly spotted by Parmigiani Mesure et Art du Temps, where over the following ten years he was at the center of the restoration work of some of the world’s rarest pieces as well as the creation of new and original ‘one-off’ pieces.
Insider: Franck Muller Vanguard Racing Skeleton 'La Mejor Carrera del Mundo' Carbon. A Stunning 75-Piece Limited Edition Celebrating the World of Motorsports.
First presented at the SIAR 2019 just a week before the Mexican F1 Grand Prix comes the Franck Muller Vanguard ‘La Mejor Carrera del Mundo’ —the best race in the world— Limited Edtion. Available in carbon or in rose gold, the watch celebrates the world of motor racing with the colors of the Mexican flag. While the carbon model is available in a limited edition of 75 pieces, the rose gold model comes in a 25-piece limited edition. Both watches feature the colors of the Mexican flag between 11 and 1 o’clock.
News: Louis Moinet 'Only Mexico' Unique Piece. Honoring the Aztecs, Zapotecs, Mayans and the Allende Meteorite.
The just released Louis Moinet ‘Only Mexico’ watch is a unique piece that pays tribute to roots of Mexican culture. Ateliers Louis Moinet painstakingly gathered information and sought out the most typical materials for Mexico and then blended them together in this spectacular, original creation. One key highlight is the presence of the Allende meteorite, found in the State of Chihuahua. Released on the occasion of the SIAR 2019 —Salón Internacional de Alta Relojería México—, the Louis Moinet ‘Only Mexico’ is fitted with Louis Moinet’s mechanical tourbillon calibre LM35. This mechanical manual wound movement won the gold medal at the most recent International Chronometry Competition.
Insider: Carl F. Bucherer Manero Flyback Chronograph. A Great Watch Under $10K for Chrono Lovers.
If you like chronographs and you are looking for one that doesn’t break the bank and in the under $10K USD range, the Carl F. Bucherer Chrono is a perfect watch that not only appears much pricier than its actual price tag but also one that offers a clean and very understated look. A watch available in three versions —stainless steel with grey dial and 18K red gold with either black or champagne colored dial— and equipped with a flyback chronograph mechanism. Featuring a mirror polished round case measuring 43 mm in diameter and a double domed sapphire crystal the Manero Flyback Chronograph is very vintage looking and great looking, especially for under $10K USD.
Insider: Franck Muller Vanguard Tourbillon Rally Maya 2019. A Captivating 5-Piece Limited Edition.
Two months ago we brought you the news about the new watches released by Franck Muller to celebrate the the 6th edition of the Rally Maya. Today, we dive deep into the captivating beauty of the Vanguard Tourbillon Rally Maya 2019. Exclusively available in Mexico and in a 5-piece limited edition, the Vanguard Tourbillon is the most special of all watches ever released as the result of the partnership between Rally Maya and Franck Muller Mexico —Raconli Group. A percentage from the proceeds of the sale of these limited edition watches will be donated to a special foundation in the southeast region of Mexico that supports children with Down Syndrome. Now, on with this very good looking watch dressed in the colors of the Mexican flag and accentuated by the signature tourbillon with Franck Muller logo bridge and the figure eight snake logo of the Rally Maya.
News: Label Noir Creates the First Rolex Daytona Tourbillon Customization Using a ref. 116520
A world premiere by Label Noir is the new Rolex Daytona Tourbillon inspired by the mythical Daytona Paul Newman. Produced on special order for a customer who wishes to remain anonymous, this unique piece will be delivered after four exhibitions in Geneva, Paris, St-Tropez and Monaco. Before being released to its owner, this very first Rolex Daytona Tourbillon fully customized by Label Noir is in the safe custody of watchmaker Emmanuel Curti, a member of the venerable Société Suisse de Chronométrie —SSC— and CEO of Label Noir.
News: Presenting the Ressence Type 1 ZZ. A Collaboration with Laurent Picciotto from Chronopassion Paris.
Ressence was founded in 2010, winners of the 2013 Horological Revelation Award at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, Ressence takes a distinctive approach to the craft of contemporary fine watchmaking. Ressence is a Belgian brand based in Antwerp that combines Swiss made calibres with unmatched self-engineered innovation to reimagine how mechanical watches can function and interact with its user in the modern age. When Chronopassion was first founded in 1988, the aim was to gather the most exclusive items in the world of watchmaking under one roof; and today, that original motivation is just as strong as ever.
News: Presenting the Bremont Jaguar D-Type Limited Edition
Jaguar Classic recently re-started production of the iconic 1950s D-type race car in Coventry, 64 years after the first examples were built. In 1955 Jaguar planned to build 100 D-types but only 75 were completed; Jaguar Classic is now fulfilling the company’s original ambition by creating 25 all-new, period-correct sports cars. The triple Le Mans-winning D-type is the third continuation vehicle to come out of the Jaguar Classic workshops, following six missing Lightweight E-types completed in 2014-2015 and nine XKSSs built in 2017-2018.
Presenting: The C. Purnell Spherion Tourbillon. The World's Fastest Triple-Axis Tourbillon.
Cecil Purnell is a name that only a few hundred watch collectors know very well and a name that only a handful of people in the watch industry understand what it stands for and the type of product they put out there. Luckily, we are within that select group, and that’s why we are presenting you the just-released C. Purnell Spherion watch with our usual live pictures and captivating macro photography. Much like other independent horologists that prefer to remain ultra-exclusive, C. Purnell flies under the radar with little to no advertising, no mass communications, limited distribution, and their unique business model. However, regardless of the lack of media exposure their watches are incredible and a real treat for the eyes.
News: NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn Awarded Gold at the 2019 German Design Awards
The NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn was released in 2018 and it is the most dynamic design from NOMOS Glashütte to date. This minimalist watch has officially joined the top echelons of the international design world by winning the Gold “Excellence in international design” at the 2019 German Design Awards —despite some less than stellar hands-on reviews by some of our competitors. The GDA is presided by the German Design Council, founded as an initiative of the German Federal Parliament in 1953. Since then, it is the leading authority on branding and design in Germany.
