Franck Muller Vanguard Slim Amador Montes

A case like the Vanguard was made to accommodate the world of Amador Montes. With its characteristic curves, tonneau silhouette and unabashed taste for originality, Franck Muller’s collection is particularly well suited to artistic collaborations.

Collaborations between artists and watchmakers are nothing new, and they are far from always convincing. The choice of watch used to showcase the work obviously plays an essential role. In this case, the pairing is particularly successful: the Mexican artist’s universe perfectly complements the Vanguard’s unconventional lines, without giving the impression that it has simply been pasted onto the dial.

Presented under the name The Art of Time, this collaboration has resulted in a limited edition of just 60 pieces, divided between two case sizes and two materials.

Amador Montes: a world populated by symbols and memories

Born in 1975 in Oaxaca, Mexico, Amador Montes has spent more than 25 years developing a deeply personal body of work, nourished by memories, emotions and references to his childhood.

His work, presented in more than 130 exhibitions around the world, moves between painting, sculpture and installations. It features a distinctive bestiary, mysterious silhouettes, flowers, insects and a multitude of small symbols that seem to belong to an intimate language.

At first glance, some compositions may appear naïve. Yet it only takes a closer look to discover a far more complex world—sometimes melancholic, often dreamlike.

This is the imaginary world that Franck Muller chose to invite onto the dial of its Vanguard Slim.

A camel-coloured dial and particularly original hands

The first thing that naturally catches the eye is the camel-coloured dial, whose microbeaded finish provides a particularly suitable backdrop for Amador Montes’s illustrations.

Small black drawings are scattered across it, accompanied by touches of vivid pink. Animal forms, flowers and strange symbols take the place of traditional hour markers.

The real masterstroke of this composition, however, is at the centre of the dial, with an idea I find excellent: the watch hands take the shape of the wings of a crane fly, the long-legged insect often mistaken for a large mosquito.

The insect’s body occupies the centre of the dial, while its outstretched wings indicate the hours and minutes. It is as original as it is intelligent, integrating an element from Amador Montes’s artistic universe directly into the watch’s primary function.

The crane fly also occupies an important place in the artist’s work. In 2022, he dedicated a permanent installation to it, entitled El lago de las Típulas, at the Bosque de Chapultepec botanical garden in Mexico City.

Another interesting detail is the inscription “SIN TI NUNCA”, visible at six o’clock. These words, which could be translated as “Never without you”, are also the title of a book published by the artist in 2024.

The dial thus multiplies personal references, some of which only reveal themselves when time is taken to observe the illustrations.

The vivid pink crown, particularly surprising on a steel or rose-gold case, adds another splash of colour. It echoes one of the characteristic shades in Montes’s work and contrasts beautifully with the dial’s warm tones.

The overall effect is certainly quite busy, and reading the time requires more attention than it would with traditional hands. Nevertheless, the composition remains harmonious, despite the quantity of small motifs covering the dial.

Franck Muller’s tonneau case is perfectly suited to this collaboration

The choice of the Vanguard Slim strikes me as particularly judicious.

Franck Muller’s tonneau silhouette has an immediately recognisable identity. Its curved lines, sculptural construction and unconventional proportions already give the impression of an object that refuses the conventions of traditional watchmaking.

The Geneva-based brand could have chosen a more restrained case to showcase Amador Montes’s drawings. I think the result would have lost much of its appeal.

The Vanguard’s curves naturally complement those of the illustrations. The shape of the case contributes to the overall balance of the composition, which doubtless explains why this collaboration works so well.

The Slim collection also makes it possible to retain relatively contained proportions. Despite the exuberance of the dial, the watch remains impressively slender, with a thickness of less than 10 mm.

Two sizes are available:

• Vanguard Slim V35: 35 mm wide, 46.3 mm long and 8.7 mm thick.
• Vanguard Slim V41: 41 mm wide, 49.95 mm long and 9.1 mm thick.

As always with a tonneau case, it is important not to focus solely on the stated dimensions. The shape and length of the case have a significant influence on the watch’s presence on the wrist.

Each size is available in stainless steel or 18-carat rose gold. The sides feature caramel-coloured inserts to match the dial.

Each watch is delivered with two interchangeable straps, one camel and the other pink. Their integration into the case, achieved through a concealed screw-fastening system, preserves the fluidity of the silhouette.

The case back also features engravings specific to this collaboration. A presentation box designed by Amador Montes completes the package.

An in-house automatic movement: calibre FM 708

Behind this artistic creation lies Franck Muller’s watchmaking expertise.

The Vanguard Slim Amador Montes is powered by the in-house automatic calibre MVT FM 708, a movement composed of 136 components.

It operates at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz) and offers a 38-hour power reserve. Its functions are limited to displaying the hours and minutes.

The decoration includes Geneva stripes, perlage, bevelled edges and various satin-brushed and polished finishes.

A 38-hour power reserve seems rather modest by today’s standards, particularly for a watch in this category. The FM 708 calibre nevertheless has the advantage of offering an in-house automatic movement in an especially thin case.

The choice of a two-hand display is also very well suited to this edition: no additional complication disrupts the graphic work created on the dial.

Water resistance is rated at 3 ATM, or 30 metres.

Franck Muller Vanguard Slim Amador Montes: price and availability

The collection is limited to 60 watches in total, divided into four versions:

The steel V41 version alone accounts for half of the production.

The particularly narrow price difference between the two steel sizes—just CHF 200—essentially leaves the choice to aesthetic preferences and wrist proportions.

The rose-gold versions logically command a significantly higher price, while retaining exactly the same artistic interpretation.

A particularly successful collaboration

I like this Vanguard Slim Amador Montes very much, particularly because the personalities of the artist and Franck Muller complement each other so naturally.

The watch immediately retains its Franck Muller identity. The artist, for his part, has been able to express his universe fully. The case’s generous curves, the camel-coloured dial, the black drawings and touches of pink form a coherent whole.

I particularly like the almost insolent pink crown, which might have seemed out of place on a more conventional watch. On the Vanguard, it works extremely well.

The aesthetics will obviously not appeal to everyone. Some will find the illustrations too busy or the watch too fanciful. It is a matter of taste, and this kind of creation is primarily aimed at collectors who are receptive to the artist’s universe.

For my part, what stands out most is the excellent idea of hands inspired by the wings of the crane fly. This detail neatly sums up the quality of the work: Amador Montes did not simply decorate an existing watch; his drawings also influenced the way it tells the time.

An original collaboration, highly coherent from an aesthetic standpoint and, in my view, a fine success.