Weird Watch Wednesday: Franc Vila FVa35 SuperSonico 5 Minutes Repeater
If you’re looking for something truly distinctive you’d be hard pressed to go past some of the absolutely stunning creations by Spanish watch maker Franc Vila. Characterized by unconventional designs and alternative materials, Franc Vila’s watches are bold and adventurous and to be honest, probably quite unlike anything you have seen or worn before. One particular model that really caught our eye at this year’s Basel World was the brand’s new concept watch; the FVa35 SuperSonico 5 Minutes Repeater.
SuperLigero Concept Collection
Back in 2008 the company celebrated the inauguration of a new line known as the SuperLigero Concept collection with the presentation of the first model from this collection, the FVa Nº 6, a skeleton tourbillion with a 5 day power reserve. Essentially the concept revolves around the development of different masterpieces that all share the characteristic of being very light whilst at the same time extremely robust thus providing lovers of Haute Horlogerie a collection of contemporary and complicated watches that able to withstand even the most demanding of sport activities.
Each of the timepieces introduced under the SuperLigero concept share a common element; the use of Lightnium, an aluminum-lithium based alloy used in state of the art aeronautical engineering. Its main characteristics are lightness combined with high-tensile strength, allowing structural weight reduction and an increase in the elastic modulus performance. These characteristics allow for the development of very robust movements like the FV Nº 6 skeleton tourbillon or the FV Nº Cuatro SuperLigero chronograph tourbillon.
Superior Performance
The all new FVa35 SuperSonico also belongs to this category and as the name suggests this new piece features an exceptionally sophisticated complication, a 5 Minutes Repeater. What’s really impressive though is that the company has found a way to use Lightnium to enhance the quality of the sound produced. Without wanting to go into the technical specifications in too much detail essentially the rigidity of Lightnium, coupled with its low density and elastic modulus are optimal to ensure the best possible sonority.
Therefore to maximize the benefits of using this material and to ensure the best sound possible the inner part of the watchcase are constructed from Lightnium, which is in charge of transmitting the sound with the lowest possible loss of energy to the outer part of the watchcase, made in high-grade titanium. This combination of titanium and Lightnium ensures optimal sound qualities for the repetition complication.
Given the complexity of the movement it is very exciting to see that Mr Vila has decided to forgo a traditional dial in favor of a very basic skeleton approach, thus affording the wearer an uninterrupted view of the sonnerie complication complete with gongs and hammers. The movement itself is a self-winding hand finished Caliber FV35 complete with the exclusive Franc Vila Gold Concept Rotor and features a power reserve of 42 hours.
The piece will be presented in a limited edition of 88 pieces and I imagine will be phenomenally expensive.
The Final Word
This somewhat extreme timepiece will certainly not suit all tastes but I commend Mr Vila for creating his own, original style and having the courage to stick to it. Too often we see brands simply regurgitating ideas taken from other brands with minor changes but no real sense of unique identity. Hate them or love them Franc Vila’s watches are distinctive and all but guarantee that their owners will be too.
Category: BaselWorld 2010, New This Week, Wow Watch Wednesday
Just a tiny remark…
There is no such thing as “Lightnium”. It’s not even a trademark of any sort.
It’s just one of those buzzwords watchmakers like to make up to make their products sound more appealing to the ignorant. Also, i guess it sounds more spaceagey than aluminum 8090.
Regardless, al-li alloys are nothing new. They’ve been around since 70′s. They don’t have any magical properties. And while they do bring some benefits compared to more usual aluminum alloys (higher tensile strength, slightly lower weight, better fatigue resistance), they also have some drawbacks (flammability, lower compressive strength and, like any aluminum alloy, thermal expansion).
It’s just another pointless gimmick “invented” in a desperate search for the new Unobtanium, after titanium fell out of vogue.
Ahh come on Ante, you dream killer!
You are probably right but that’s part of the magic of watch-making, if it wasn’t we’d all be wearing super reliable and super boring quartz watches (or probably more accurately, just looking at our phones.)
Still each to their own and I certainly do appreciate you sharing your opinion, as the goal here is to build a community where readers can benefit from the insights of others so thank you for taking the time to contribute to doing just that.
Bah! Give me real unobtanium! I want a transparent alumina watch!
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transparent_alumina)