The Return of Franc Vila

The head of the independent brand makes a return to the big arena following a period of complete silence which lasted several years.

Franc Vila who set up his own company in 2004 made his debut at Baselworld 2005, where he unveiled models in a case which would become the main defining feature of his collections. Vila made an ambitious start with complicated timepieces. His earliest pieces already included a perpetual calendar with a moon-phase display.

Vila returned to Basel one year later to present his first tourbillon along with world timers and big date models: a chronograph and a perpetual calendar GMT watch. Apart from complicated functions and Esprit Unique (the name chosen by the watchmaker for his pieces with cases and dials in the shape of an upturned figure eight), the young brand became known for its use of innovative materials. 

For instance, Vila used ultra-black lightweight titanium and carbon to accentuate the sporty character of his models. And now a new model has appeared out of the blue. Not only did its arrival come as a surprise, so too did its appearance. Esprit Unique is a thing of the past.

The Tourbillon Superligero FVF1 C2, may have kept parts of the Tourbillon Intrepido Superligero from 2013 in its name but it looks nothing like its predecessor. The watch is housed in a case which is almost round although there are still hints of a transition to an oval on the side, and it has a minimalistic skeletonized movement.

Vila has remained true to his numerical system for naming models. The tourbillon at 6 o'clock in the FVF1 C2 is positioned below an original weekday indication and 3D day-night sphere. The dial has been stripped of everything unnecessary, so much so that the brand's FVF logo can only be found on the minute scale and movement when you flip over the case.

The use of titanium as the case material has allowed the watch to be kept lightweight as desired — the model is called Superligero for a reason! It measures 42.5 mm in diameter and 13.9 mm in height. A significant contribution to its height is made by the convex glass which allows the movement to be observed in more detail.

The case itself serves as the baseplate for the manually wound FVF1 movement. It's been skeletnoized to the max, which has also helped keep the weight down. The movement beats at a frequency of 18,000 vph and ensures 100 hours of power reserve.