It is a pleasing to note that many new watchmakers are still able to find their place in an apparently saturated high-end market. Frank Vila is a particularly fine example, having successfully imposed a new and surprising definition of the wristwatch – and in record time at that. The FV9, which is the object of this test bench article, is a worthy new ambassador of the feats achieved by the brand’s workshops in Carouge, Geneva.

The Exterior
Frank Vila boldly asserts itself by the daring design of its watches. It took considerable daring to assert such a distinctive character, exacerbated by its creator’s fertile imagination. The case middle and back are in titanium, while the crown, pushers, correctors and bezel are in 750 pink gold. Belying its apparently rugged appearance, this represents an impressively complex construction.

The bezel alone deserves a Nobel Prize for microtechnical engineering and could have been nicknamed “the bay of a thousand sunrays”. There is no circle as such, but rather an incredible sequence of shifts in the radii of curvature. Despite the numerous difficulties this entails, the general shape, the exterior angle and the dial opening merge smoothly with the other components within a sizeable and yet surprisingly sensual whole.

The square pushers, the way the back is integrated into the case middle and its dedicated hexagonal screws place this case in the category of watches that mean business! The black carbon fibre demonstrates a similarly bold approach. It surrounds the chronograph counters and perpetual calendar displays associating mother-of-pearl, guilloché and polished surfaces. The watch is fitted with a cleverly moulded rubber strap ensuring perfect imbrication with the case middle by recovering part of the 17 mm of the case thickness. Setting the finishing touch, the folding clasp is extremely well conceived, even though a certain regrettable slackness in the spring blade sometimes makes opening it a rather tedious process.

The Movement
The base is an ETA Calibre 2894, a chronograph version derived from the ultra-famous 2892. This movement is self-adjusting and avoids any after-sales service problems! This excellent self-winding base has been enriched with a splendid complete perpetual calendar model. Thus, in addition to the usual central hour and minute hands, the dial displays the following indications: small seconds and date at 3 o’clock, minute and month counter at 9 o’clock, hour and day counter at 6 o’clock and moon phases at 3 o’clock. The sweep seconds hand plays with the unconventional contours of the dial opening. Each of the perpetual calendar stars features its own corrector ensuring quick and easy adjustments for such a complex product. The appearance of the 2892 is sometimes criticised, so in this version the oscillating weight has been entirely rebuilt to adopt the colours of this festival of ellipses. Note the ball-bearing cover that proves extremely effective in making the 2892(4) extremely hard to identify and which in my view is a smart added-value feature that is also visually pleasing.

The Tests
The choice of a base calibre such as the 2894 guarantees tried and tested smooth running and adjustment. Its relatively small 11 1/2 -ligne calibre allows space to add a module such as a perpetual calendar. The rating tests proved excellent as a whole and in line with those generally observed on calibres in the 2890 line. The results show constant and substantial amplitudes ranging between 260° and 290° over a 24-hour period and according to various positions. The etachron index guarantees fine and precise adjustment of the beat. The daily rates make the movement comfortably eligible for a timekeeping certificate and the power reserves measured were just below 44 hours. A good result, but which is slightly dampened by a calendar that proved a little greedy on the testing day, particularly during the month-change jumps.

Wearing such a bulky watch requires suitable wide shirt sleeves, although it is a very comfortable fit on the wrist. The rubber strap, even when tightened to the maximum, was unfortunately still too long for my wrist, which is not abnormally small. This meant I was unable to see how it felt for a long period of wear. Finally, the counters tightly crowded into the centre of the dial and the large number of concentric hands somewhat reduce legibility.

Conclusion
The emblematic design of each of Frank Vila’s creations radiates a characteristic that some might call provocative and others daring, while still others (who generally take longer to voice their opinions) might describe it as brilliant. This is a magical capacity to arouse emotions, of whatever kind. A Frank Vila watch inevitably elicits a strong reaction of some sort. Personally, I see in this approach a form of honesty that can only lead towards success – which is exactly what I would wish for the magicians of Frank Villa.