Franck Muller demonstrates its mastery over both design and material engineering. Here, the material for the familiar Vanguard watch case has been carefully chosen and constructed in a glass fibre composite, which has been specially tailored to create a pattern of undulating lines reminiscent of ripples in the sand on a beach. To accomplish this, glass is first melted at 1,500°C and drawn into ultra-fine filaments, then cooled down and formed into sheets at a lower temperature of 700°. Next, these sheets are dyed in colour baths, before being layered and compressed into blocks that can be machined into watch cases.

By managing the individual steps in this process, Franck Muller precisely controls the exact hues of the Vanguard Beach, while also creating the line’s distinctive pattern. This customisation has, in turn, been meticulously matched by the dial and strap for a striking tone-on-tone look that emphasises the Vanguard’s design in three eye-catching colours, inspired by the glistening blues and greens of the sea and the fiery sunsets that paint the sky.