When watchmaking becomes canvas
Franck Muller has long purveyed theatricality in high watchmaking: curved cases, flamboyant numerals, and complications dressed with personality. The Vanguard line channels that character into a sportier, contemporary silhouette — a shaped case that’s both modern and unmistakably Franck Muller.
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The new Vanguard Alquimiamc takes this DNA in a different direction: rather than loud color or technical spectacle, it presents a tactile, slowly changing material and an artist’s mark — a skull — at the center of the dial. In short, this is a Vanguard that wants to be touched, observed and contemplated.
The collaboration: Franck Muller x .ALQUIMIAMC
The Vanguard Alquimiamc is the fruit of a collaboration with Mexican architect-sculptor Marcos Cojab, who works under the moniker .ALQUIMIAMC. His practice often blends urban motifs, skull iconography and textured finishes; it’s a vocabulary that dovetails neatly with the idea of bronze as a medium that ages and acquires character.
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The watch’s dial centers the artist’s emblematic skull — a potent symbol in Mexican visual culture — and reframes it as a meditation on time, transformation and the aesthetic of impermanence. The official Franck Muller release stresses that this is as much an artistic statement as it is a watch.
What makes the Vanguard Alquimiamc immediately tactile is its oxidized bronze case and dial treatment. Bronze has been used increasingly in luxury watchmaking because it acquires a unique patina through wear and exposure — each watch becomes personal over time. Franck Muller’s press material highlights that the material evolves, “developing a natural patina that makes every watch unique.” In this release, bronze isn’t merely a color choice; it’s the conceptual backbone: the dial’s finish and the case surface are all designed to age together, emphasizing temporality in a literal, physical sense.
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Design-wise, the Vanguard’s curved tonneau case remains intact: the watch looks like a Vanguard at a glance, but the aged bronze and the skull motif give it an almost sculptural, gothic-meets-contemporary presence. The result is a timepiece that’s more of a statement object than a quiet daily beater.
Franck Muller confirms the Vanguard Alquimiamc is powered by an in-house MVT FM 708 automatic movement with a thickness of only 2.60mm — consistent with the brand’s recent push to emphasize manufacture calibers across collections. For collectors this matters — the watch is both an objet d’art and a Swiss mechanical instrument.
According to Franck Muller’s announcement, the Vanguard Alquimiamc is a limited edition of 15 pieces and, notably, initially exclusive to Mexico. The release indicates a very small run — making this a highly collectible piece for both brand fans and contemporary art collectors. When limited editions are this small, the watch becomes less about mass appeal and more about provenance, narrative, and the thrill of scarcity. If you’re thinking of adding one to a collection, expect brokers and boutiques to be the route of access, and don’t be surprised if the secondary market command premium prices.
Vanguard cases are unapologetically present: curved tonneau proportions create a larger wrist footprint while hugging the wrist in profile. Paired with an aged bronze finish and a dominant skull motif, the Alquimiamc won’t be shy on the wrist — it’s a conversation starter. If you prefer discreet dress pieces, this isn’t the watch for you. But if you enjoy a splash of theatricality, bronze’s warm tones and the Vanguard’s ergonomic curve can be remarkably wearable. The strap integration that Vanguard models are known for remains a plus: the watch sits neatly, despite its visual weight. Case dimensions: width: 41 mm; length: 49.95 mm; thickness: 9.1 mm.
The strength of the Alquimiamc is also its weakness. When a watch foregrounds an artistic motif as forcefully as this, it divides opinion. Admirers will praise the courage: a skull rendered with texture and patina, set on a bronze dial that evolves with the wearer, is both poetic and daring. Detractors may call it indulgent or too literal — a designer toy rather than a pure instrument. That debate is intrinsic to art collaborations: value is as much about the creator’s statement as the intrinsic horological merit.
Where the Alquimiamc scores is in authenticity. It doesn’t slap an artist’s name on a standard dial and call it a day; instead it adopts the artist’s material language and makes the case, dial and surface treatment part of the artistic concept. That makes the watch more defensible as a work of wearable art.
The luxury market has seen many artist collaborations — some purely decorative, others genuinely interpretive. Compared to colorful, pop-art tie-ins or logo-heavy co-brands, the Vanguard Alquimiamc lands in a middle ground: it’s not a novelty tee-shirt in watch form, nor is it a silently executed artist motif. Its material-first approach places it alongside recent bronze releases from other maisons, yet the distinctive skull and Mexican cultural references give it a unique cultural voice. Collectors who like artful limited editions from the likes of Hublot, Panerai (bronze references), or even smaller independent houses will find the Alquimiamc to be a credible and regionally resonant entry.
One of the release’s most compelling aspects is the cultural layering. The skull — a symbol with deep roots in Mexican visual culture, from Día de los Muertos to contemporary street art — here becomes a meditation on time and transience.
Materials & design language — bronze that changes with you
What makes the Vanguard Alquimiamc immediately tactile is its oxidized bronze case and dial treatment. Bronze has been used increasingly in luxury watchmaking because it acquires a unique patina through wear and exposure — each watch becomes personal over time. Franck Muller’s press material highlights that the material evolves, “developing a natural patina that makes every watch unique.” In this release, bronze isn’t merely a color choice; it’s the conceptual backbone: the dial’s finish and the case surface are all designed to age together, emphasizing temporality in a literal, physical sense.
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The Vanguard Alquimiamc is presented in two distinct variations: one featuring a minimalist dial
that accentuates the sculptural beauty of bronze (V 41 S AT ALQUIMIAMC AP BR (VE)), and another adorned with numerals in vivid green color (V 41 S AT ALQUIMIAMC NBR BR (VE)), meticulously painted by hand.
Movement & technical essentials
Franck Muller confirms the Vanguard Alquimiamc is powered by an in-house MVT FM 708 automatic movement with a thickness of only 2.60mm — consistent with the brand’s recent push to emphasize manufacture calibers across collections. For collectors this matters — the watch is both an objet d’art and a Swiss mechanical instrument.
Movement specs:
Functions: Hours, Minutes
Movement: MVT FM 708 In-House Automatic movement
Power Reserve: 38 hours
Diameter: Ø 28,9 mm
Thickness: 3,83 mm
Frequency: 21,600 vibrations per hour
Components: 136
Movement Decoration:
Côtes de Genève on the bridges, rotor plate and additional plate
Perlage on the mainplate
Beveling on the additional-plate springs and rotor plate
Diamond polishing on the sinks and bridge bevels
Sunray brushing on the bridges, rotor segment, bearing cage and barrel cover
Snailing on the ratchets
Circular satin brushing on the wheels
Satin brushing on the additional-plate springs
Limited edition & availability — exclusivity by design
According to Franck Muller’s announcement, the Vanguard Alquimiamc is a limited edition of 15 pieces and, notably, initially exclusive to Mexico. The release indicates a very small run — making this a highly collectible piece for both brand fans and contemporary art collectors. When limited editions are this small, the watch becomes less about mass appeal and more about provenance, narrative, and the thrill of scarcity. If you’re thinking of adding one to a collection, expect brokers and boutiques to be the route of access, and don’t be surprised if the secondary market command premium prices.
Wearability & wrist presence
Vanguard cases are unapologetically present: curved tonneau proportions create a larger wrist footprint while hugging the wrist in profile. Paired with an aged bronze finish and a dominant skull motif, the Alquimiamc won’t be shy on the wrist — it’s a conversation starter. If you prefer discreet dress pieces, this isn’t the watch for you. But if you enjoy a splash of theatricality, bronze’s warm tones and the Vanguard’s ergonomic curve can be remarkably wearable. The strap integration that Vanguard models are known for remains a plus: the watch sits neatly, despite its visual weight. Case dimensions: width: 41 mm; length: 49.95 mm; thickness: 9.1 mm.
Aesthetic critique — artful, but polarizing
The strength of the Alquimiamc is also its weakness. When a watch foregrounds an artistic motif as forcefully as this, it divides opinion. Admirers will praise the courage: a skull rendered with texture and patina, set on a bronze dial that evolves with the wearer, is both poetic and daring. Detractors may call it indulgent or too literal — a designer toy rather than a pure instrument. That debate is intrinsic to art collaborations: value is as much about the creator’s statement as the intrinsic horological merit.
How it compares to other artistic limited editions
The luxury market has seen many artist collaborations — some purely decorative, others genuinely interpretive. Compared to colorful, pop-art tie-ins or logo-heavy co-brands, the Vanguard Alquimiamc lands in a middle ground: it’s not a novelty tee-shirt in watch form, nor is it a silently executed artist motif. Its material-first approach places it alongside recent bronze releases from other maisons, yet the distinctive skull and Mexican cultural references give it a unique cultural voice. Collectors who like artful limited editions from the likes of Hublot, Panerai (bronze references), or even smaller independent houses will find the Alquimiamc to be a credible and regionally resonant entry.
The cultural layer — skulls, Mexico and time
One of the release’s most compelling aspects is the cultural layering. The skull — a symbol with deep roots in Mexican visual culture, from Día de los Muertos to contemporary street art — here becomes a meditation on time and transience.
Bronze, which ages rather than resists time, reinforces that theme. Franck Muller doesn’t position this as mere decoration; it’s a dialogue between Swiss watchmaking precision and a Mexican artist’s reflections on mortality and transformation. That cultural cross-pollination is where the Alquimiamc earns its narrative purchase.
Franck Muller’s press announcement focuses on artistic content and availability, but omits a public MSRP in the initial news excerpts. Vanguard models span a wide price range depending on materials and complications, and dealer listings for comparable Vanguard pieces typically start in the low five figures for steel variants and scale up for precious metals and complications. Given the limited nature of the Alquimiamc and the bespoke finishes, expect pricing to reflect both the brand’s luxury positioning and the watch’s collector appeal. If you’re seriously interested, reach out to Franck Muller boutiques or authorized dealers for precise pricing and allocation.
• Collectors of contemporary art and watches who value narrative, provenance and tactile surfaces.
• Fans of Franck Muller who want a Vanguard variant that feels like a statement piece rather than a quotidian accessory.
• Wearers who appreciate patina and the idea of a watch that looks different day-to-day
If you want a low-profile, universally versatile everyday watch, the Alquimiamc is probably too specific. But if your ideal watch starts conversations, tracks with artistic intent, and ages with personality, this is a smart, emotionally resonant pick.
The Franck Muller Vanguard Alquimiamc is a successful experiment in marrying contemporary art and watchmaking. It’s not for everyone — that’s the point. This is a limited, regional release that uses bronze patina and an artist’s skull motif to explore temporality in a way most factory-finished luxury watches don’t. The in-house automatic movement anchors it in serious horology, while the material and collaboration lift it into the realm of collectible art objects. For collectors who prize narrative, rarity and tactile uniqueness, the Alquimiamc is a compelling, emotionally charged Vanguard. For those seeking understated daily utility, look elsewhere in the Vanguard lineup.
Key positives: authentic artist collaboration, evolving bronze patina, strong concept, manufacture movement.
Key caveats: boutique/regional exclusivity, MSRP not widely published at launch (contact dealer).
Franck Muller’s official channels and authorized boutiques are the logical starting points — the brand’s news item notes the Alquimiamc’s limited release and regional availability. For price guidance and allocation, contact Franck Muller boutiques, official retailers, or reputable regional dealers. Given the limited run, some models may quickly move to private sales or gray market brokers, so if provenance matters, insist on full paperwork and warranty transfer policies.
Pricing & market expectations
Franck Muller’s press announcement focuses on artistic content and availability, but omits a public MSRP in the initial news excerpts. Vanguard models span a wide price range depending on materials and complications, and dealer listings for comparable Vanguard pieces typically start in the low five figures for steel variants and scale up for precious metals and complications. Given the limited nature of the Alquimiamc and the bespoke finishes, expect pricing to reflect both the brand’s luxury positioning and the watch’s collector appeal. If you’re seriously interested, reach out to Franck Muller boutiques or authorized dealers for precise pricing and allocation.
Who is this watch for?
• Collectors of contemporary art and watches who value narrative, provenance and tactile surfaces.
• Fans of Franck Muller who want a Vanguard variant that feels like a statement piece rather than a quotidian accessory.
• Wearers who appreciate patina and the idea of a watch that looks different day-to-day
Final verdict — a limited, soulful, slightly theatrical Vanguard
The Franck Muller Vanguard Alquimiamc is a successful experiment in marrying contemporary art and watchmaking. It’s not for everyone — that’s the point. This is a limited, regional release that uses bronze patina and an artist’s skull motif to explore temporality in a way most factory-finished luxury watches don’t. The in-house automatic movement anchors it in serious horology, while the material and collaboration lift it into the realm of collectible art objects. For collectors who prize narrative, rarity and tactile uniqueness, the Alquimiamc is a compelling, emotionally charged Vanguard. For those seeking understated daily utility, look elsewhere in the Vanguard lineup.
Key caveats: boutique/regional exclusivity, MSRP not widely published at launch (contact dealer).
How to buy / where to look
Franck Muller’s official channels and authorized boutiques are the logical starting points — the brand’s news item notes the Alquimiamc’s limited release and regional availability. For price guidance and allocation, contact Franck Muller boutiques, official retailers, or reputable regional dealers. Given the limited run, some models may quickly move to private sales or gray market brokers, so if provenance matters, insist on full paperwork and warranty transfer policies.
[photo credits: www.franckmuller.com]
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