Results for Besançon (France)

Firenze Finesse

Industry News – The COSC Releases Excellence Chronometer, its New, Stricter Standard in Chronometry

What is a chronometer…? In short, it is a watch that has been officially tested for its precision. And to guarantee the precision of watches, several tools exist, such as the ISO 3159 standard (which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year) and official organisations, such as the Observatoire de Besançon in France, the Glashütte Observatory […]

Introducing – The Baltic MR Moissanite Final Edition

Baltic was founded in Paris by Étienne Malec and launched via Kickstarter in 2017 with a captivating duo of 1940s-inspired models. Onwards and upwards, the brand now has over ten collections under its belt, many with an emphasis on mid-20th-century aesthetics, and keeps prices in check by outsourcing movements and assembling them in Besançon, France. […]

13 Best French Watch Brands (2026)

Switzerland is the modern world’s center of watchmaking, with Germany a distant but respectable second in Europe and Japan having long staked out its own spot as the premier watch producer in Asia. Great Britain and the U.S.A., while no longer world leaders, both have a proud history of watchmaking and maintain a small but steadily growing cottage industry in the modern era. But France has its own respectable horological heritage, centered around the commune of Besançon (below), which borders Switzerland’s own heartland of watchmaking, the Vallée de Joux.  France was, in fact, a home for many historically significant watchmakers and clockmakers, including Julien Cordray, Jean-Antoine Lépine, Ferdinand Berthoud, and Abraham-Louis Breguet (actually born in the Prussian principality that would become Neuchâtel, Switzerland, but renowned as a Paris-based watchmaker to French royalty). The latter three all plied their trade in workshops on Place Dauphine at the western tip of Paris' Île de la Cité in the Seine. Watchmaking was a thriving industry in France for a century, up until KIng Louis XIV’s (below) revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, which ushered in the religious persecution of Huguenot watchmakers, who fled to Switzerland to essentially establish that nation as a horological power. The French Revolution in the 18th Century, which halted the sales of luxury goods like watches in France, further eroded the country’s watch industry, and it has never ...

Introducing: The New Baltic Hermétique Summer Collection

The Baltic Hermétique has been a bona fide hit since its introduction in 2023. Since then, the Besançon, France-based brand has added new models to the lineup, including additional colors and bronze-cased pieces. Today, and just in time for the warm-weather holidays, a collection of four Hermétique Summer watches has been announced. These brightly colored […] Visit Introducing: The New Baltic Hermétique Summer Collection to read the full article.

First Look – The New, Architectural Yema Granvelle CMM.20 Collection

Unlike the tool-focused Superman line, the latest release of French brand Yema, the Granvelle, takes visual and mechanical cues from France’s long-standing horological tradition and is named after the Granvelle Palace in Besançon, the 16th-century Renaissance building that houses the Museum of Time. But while its inspiration is historic, the execution is modern and precise: […]

Franck Muller reimagines one of its defining Complications with the Vanguard Aero Revolution 3 Skeleton

Franc Vila’s FVF2 Time & Day is Quirky Haute Horlogerie

FVF Genève’s second model after the FVF1 skeleton tourbillon, the FVF2 Intrepido Time & Day is a more concise and accessible watch. It’s essentially a familiar formula – time (plus day) and a hand-finished manual wind movement – the FVF2 nonetheless manages to stand out thanks to brand founder Franc Vila’s eye for design. Pictured here with a black mother of pearl dial, part of a five-piece edition, the FVF2 has a pleasing asymmetry. The movement is composed of intriguing geometric forms and quirky details like the square winding click, while also being traditionally decorated with generous bevelling and black polishing. The case is an unusual “unibody” construction where the base plate and case middle are one and the same Initial thoughts The FVF2 might seem like yet another time-only watch with a fancily decorated movement, and it is just that, but not quite. Its creator, Franc Vila, is an industry veteran rather than a newcomer, and is now making a comeback after rising and falling with his original brand some two decades ago. Unlike many recent calibres that try to do more with more, the FVF2 movement is more minimalist but has a recognisable style and artful details. The calibre is characterised by geometric forms that encompass finer elements like the winding click, while also retaining a clear classical bent with the prominent going train and finishing. The treatment for the titanium base plate requires superheated gases to create an oxide layer on t...

Franck Muller’s Vanguard Makes Its Mark

New: Franck Muller Vanguard Sport Asia Pacific Exclusive

Franck Muller adds four new models to their Vanguard Sport line, with this Asia Pacific Exclusive. The novelties are presented as new dials.

Franck Muller ditches subtlety for high jewellery with the Round Triple Mystery

Strictly speaking, this is the least mysterious 'Mystery' watch Franck Muller has ever made - but it's no less impressive.The post Franck Muller ditches subtlety for high jewellery with the Round Triple Mystery appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Revolutionary List: 25 Watchmakers and Construction – Franck Muller

The Revolutionary List: 24 Technically Brilliant Watches – Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega

The Revolutionary List: 30 Pioneering Watches – the Franck Muller Crazy Hours

New with impressions and hands on: Franck Muller Round Triple Mystery

The 3rd in the series with mysterious gemstone clad Franck Mullers. This latest watch is called the Round Triple Mystery. Here are our hands-on impressions.

Franck Muller’s Vanguard Mexico Edition is Patina’ed, Slim, Minimalist

Thin and time only, the Vanguard Slim is Franck Muller’s take on a modern dress watch. It’s been reimagined by the brand’s distributor in Mexico, Raconli Group, which tapped Marcos Cojab, an architect who’s also a sculptor working under the moniker Alquimiamc. The result is the Vanguard Alquimiamc clad in bronze – the case and dial are aged bronze, brushed by hand. The 15-piece edition is made up of two variants, one in the familiar Vanguard configuration, and another with a minimalist dial free of numerals. Thanks to the styling and materials, both versions are intriguing designs that depart from the usual Franck Muller style. Initial thoughts The Vanguard Slim is one of Franck Muller’s most appealing current models. While the typical Franck Muller is oversized and sometimes over designed, the Vanguard Slim is the opposite – the curved case is under 10 mm high, giving it an elegant profile, while the dial is cleaner thanks to just two hands. Earlier versions of the Vanguard Slim were already simple, but the Alquimiamc goes even further, with less obvious branding, though the version with numerals is still recognisable as the Vanguard. Instead the Alquimiamc emphasises the texture and shading of the aged bronze, which gives it an unusual appeal. Bronze inside and out The Alquimiamc edition is derived from the Vanguard Slim (also known as the Line Cut), a sleek time-only version of Franck Muller’s bestselling model. While the brand is best known for its ext...

First Look: Franc Vila at Geneva Watch Days 2025

Franck Muller joins forces with #FR2 for another cheeky collab

Franck Muller and Japanese streetwear brand #FR2 add some summer colour to their second fun-filled collaboration.The post Franck Muller joins forces with #FR2 for another cheeky collab appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

We chat with Franck Muller CEO Nicholas Rudaz about playful design and haute horlogerie

Jamie caught up with the FM CEO in the brand's "palatial" new Sydney boutique.The post We chat with Franck Muller CEO Nicholas Rudaz about playful design and haute horlogerie appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Introducing: Two Very Different “Watch Beasts” From Jaquet Droz And Franck Muller

Unfortunately, there’s no In-N-Out Burger in The Hague. Since the American regional chain of fast food restaurants has locations primarily in California and some parts of the Southwest, having a burger at an In-N-Out is a very geographically dictated fast-food privilege. That’s a real shame because I once had the pleasure of having the much-talked-about […] Visit Introducing: Two Very Different “Watch Beasts” From Jaquet Droz And Franck Muller to read the full article.

Jay-Z’s Unique Rolex Perpetual Calendar Modified by Franck Muller? Or Is It?

Here’s The Truth About Jay-Z’s Unique Rolex Perpetual Calendar Modified by Franck Muller

Franck Muller And #FR2 Reunite For The Latest Vanguard Beach Limited Edition

Franck Muller Returns with the Fxxking Rabbits of #FR2

Franck Muller returns with cheeky rabbits in an Asia-Pacific limited edition reprising its earlier collaboration with Japanese streetwear brand #FR2, which is also known as Fxxking Rabbits. Following the first edition in black and white that was launched two years ago, the #Fr2nck Muller Vanguard Beach features a glass fibre composite case in three bright, marbled colours, along with a dial featuring a relief of the titular rabbits. Initial thoughts Like the first edition, the Vanguard Beach is bold, rude, and fun. The twin rabbit logo is small so it’s only visible at arm’s length, but the brightly coloured case still makes this hard to miss. The watch doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is a good fit for Franck Muller’s brand ethos. But this fun comes at a price of about US$14,000. It’s about 30% more expensive than the first edition, which is passable in today’s market where everything feels like it has gotten pricey quickly. Rabbits on holiday Each variant of the Vanguard Beach depicts rabbits having fun at the beach. One notable detail is the unusually positioned date window at two o’clock that has a gilded round frame that is meant to represent the Sun. Rabbits aside, the notable aspect of the #FR2 edition is the glass fibre composite case in the lug-less Vanguard format. Though it’s not a new material, glass fibre composite is relatively novel in watchmaking, where carbon fibre composite is most common. Glass fibre composite is similar to its car...

Patria Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription Edition: A Beautifully Hand-Finished, Swiss Made Tourbillon for 18,000 Swiss francs is the Bargain of the Year, perhaps the Decade!

Love them or hate them, one thing that most collectors know is that tourbillons are very expensive. That's all changed with Patria's Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription Edition costing 'just' CHF 18,000 for a beautifully hand finished Swiss Made tourbillon.