Get your wrists ready, watch aficionados! Following their blockbuster collaboration in 2023, Franck Muller and #FR2 have returned with a new timepiece: the #FR2NCK MULLER Vanguard Beach Limited Edition! The model melds #FR2’s playful irreverence with the sporty, vibrant design of the Vanguard Beach collection, and arrives perfectly timed to usher in the summer.
Tokyo-based #FR2 is a beloved iconoclast among streetwear aficionados. Known for its provocative Fxxking Rabbits motif, the label first partnered with Franck Muller two years ago to create the #FR2NCK MULLER Vanguard. The limited-edition watch paired #FR2’s signature graphic with an edgy, fashion-forward design, and became an instant hit among streetwear fans.
This year’s follow-up from Franck Muller and #FR2 features the same Fxxking Rabbits motif, of course. In lieu of a monochromatic palette, however, the new #FR2NCK MULLER Vanguard Beach Limited Edition comes decked out in vivid summer hues to evoke the carefree spirit of sun-soaked days and sea breezes – a throwback to the Franck Muller Vanguard Beach collection that was also released in 2023.
The #FR2NCK MULLER Vanguard Beach Limited Edition is available in three colourways derived from the original Vanguard Beach line: Heatwave Red, Surf Blue, and Tropical Green, available in just 300 pieces each. All three references are a call to summer and all that it has to offer, with a dial that hints at the endless possibilities on hand.
To create these deeply saturated cases, glass is first melted at 1,500°c and drawn into extremely fine threads, before being cooled and formed into sheets at 700°c. These sheets are then impregnated in special colour baths to attain the desired hues, before being compressed into fibreglass composite blocks.
The iconic Fxxking Rabbits are the anchoring elements on these watches, naturally, and variously engaged in their pursuits under a beach umbrella, on a surfboard, and amongst lush vegetation. To complete each scene, the date window has been cleverly positioned at 2 o’clock both as a subtle callback to #FR2, and to double as the blazing sun shining overhead. For added dimension and nighttime visibility, the rabbit motif and skeletonised obelisk hands are applied with Super-Luminova, giving the dial a luminous glow in the dark.
On the technical front, the #FR2NCK MULLER Vanguard Beach Limited Edition collection offers Franck Muller’s familiar mix of technical sophistication with eminent wearability. The tonneau-shaped Vanguard case here has been rendered in glass fibre-composite, for a bold presence in a light yet robust package suitable for everyday wear.
Each case, in turn, comes fitted with a striking nylon strap, with leather underside, featuring a hook-and-loop closure for convenience and sand-free cleanups. The straps are printed with various details – bold text that harks back to archetypal Japanese streetwear aesthetics, as well as a unique graphic that extends the watch dial’s visual motif.
Powering each timepiece is Franck Muller’s self-winding MVT 2536-SCDT2H movement, a workhorse calibre that offers fuss-free convenience.
“Franck Muller and #FR2 are both unapologetic and daring in their respective industries, and they embody the same audacity and non-conformist attitude that make them such kindred spirits,” opines Sharon Lim, CEO of Franck Muller APAC.
“These shared values have given rise to a partnership that’s made waves across both the streetwear and luxury watch industries, beginning with 2023’s #FR2NCK MULLER Vanguard. We are pleased to follow up on its success with the new #FR2NCK MULLER Vanguard Beach, which explores a different set of possibilities when street fashion meets haute horlogerie.”
The new #FR2NCK MULLER Vanguard Beach Limited Edition is now available exclusively in the Asia Pacific region. Each of the three references is limited to just 300 pieces. Swing by Franck Muller’s official website for more.
