Franck Muller Vanguard Ocean Drive Slim
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The newest member of the Franck Muller Vanguard family—the Vanguard Ocean Drive Slim watch—is a collaboration between the brand and Becker Jewelers, limited to 15 pieces. Designed exclusively for the German market, this timepiece brings the chic style of Miami’s South Beach to Europe. The case is crafted from 150 layers of die-cast carbon fiber, resulting in a deep black that contrasts beautifully with the bright pink and blue accents on the dial. The watch is powered by the brand’s in-house MVT FM 708-S6 automatic movement, boasting a 42-hour power reserve and 30-meter water resistance. In short, I absolutely love the Ocean Drive Slim watch, as carbon fiber is one of my favorite case materials, and the black dial with bright pink and blue accents is simply stunning.
Franck Muller has created a limited edition of 15 Vanguard Ocean Drive Slim watches for Becker Jewelers, exclusively for the German market. Designed by Jan Giercke, General Manager of Baker Jewellery, the watch is themed around the fusion of Miami and Hamburg, incorporating elements of black carbon fiber, sky blue, turquoise, and pink. The launch event opened with a client activity, also attended by Nicholas Rudaz, CEO of Frank Muller. This launch was not part of the regular Vanguard line, but rather an exclusive collection launched in collaboration with Baker Jewellery.
The differences in materials go far beyond the use of seasonal colors. The tonneau-shaped case is cut from a single block of 150 layers of compressed aerospace-grade carbon fiber, while the slim case houses the in-house automatic movement FM 708-S6, which is only 3.73 mm thick. The brushed dark dial, applied hand-set numerals, and small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock create a rich visual effect within the slim case.
Its main advantages are obvious. The slim movement and carbon fiber case reduce the watch’s size and weight, but its water resistance is only 30 meters, so the “Ocean Drive” name doesn’t imply swimming capability.
Case and Dial
The classic Vanguard silhouette is retained, evident in the wide tonneau-shaped case, curved sides, and seamless integration with the strap. A layer of carbon fiber runs through the case, forming irregular gray-black stripes that create a continuous striped texture on the bezel, upper case, and sides, rather than a surface coating. A matte finish effectively reduces reflections, while black inserts on either side separate the main body of the case from the crown area and the other side of the case.
By processing a single piece of carbon fiber, the texture wraps around the case, rather than stopping at a thin outer layer. The result is a lightweight case with a clearly visible surface texture that requires no polishing. The black crown on the right side of the case is flush with the edge, with ribbed edges for easy winding and time adjustment.
A domed sapphire crystal extends along the edge of the tonneau-shaped case and covers the entire dial opening. Its unique geometry creates a slight distortion at the steep angles of the dial’s outer edge, especially near the top and bottom edges, while the central hands and small seconds remain relatively clear. The crystal and case opening further emphasize the vertical lines of the dial, making its length greater than its width.
On the brushed, dark dial, applied Arabic numerals form the main visual structure. Each numeral is hand-painted and mounted, with pink and turquoise elements standing out against the black and gray background. The raised Arabic numerals sit above the printed white minute markers, clearly distinguishing the hour display from the more refined outer ring markings.
The central hand group indicates the hours and minutes. Like the Arabic numerals, they use a pink and turquoise color scheme, and their broad outline remains easily legible on the striped dial. At 6 o’clock, a separate gear train indicates the small seconds hand, which is located within a recessed black sub-dial decorated with concentric circles, white markers, and turquoise accents. This gives the watch three hands, while the central axis still indicates the hours and minutes. Outer Bezel Markers
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Extending along the curved edge of the dial are white markers, with turquoise squares at specific five-minute markers. The VANGUARD lettering is printed in pink at 12 o’clock, the OCEAN DRIVE lettering in pink at 6 o’clock, and the FRANCK MULLER GENEVE lettering in white at the center of the dial. The font, prominent large numerals, and independent seconds markers maintain the prestige of the Vanguard series, but the color treatment distinguishes the Becker version from the regular Vanguard.
Movement
The FM 708-S6 is an in-house automatic movement, 29.9 mm in diameter and 3.73 mm thick. Composed of 125 parts, it vibrates at 21,600 times per hour (3 Hz) and offers a 42-hour power reserve when fully wound. This relatively slim movement is a key reason why the Vanguard series can maintain its slim profile without compromising its fundamental tonneau shape.
The 42-hour power reserve is sufficient for a full day’s wear, but not for extended periods. The 3 Hz frequency provides 6 oscillations per second for the balance wheel, reflected in the movement of the small seconds hand at 6 o’clock. The hour and minute hands are located on the central dial, while the small seconds hand is on the lower dial, indicating the movement’s operation without the need for an additional central hand.
The crown has two operating positions: one for manual winding and the other for setting the time. This design simplifies operation, eliminating the need for additional crown positions for functions other than hours, minutes, and seconds.
The decorative pattern is not concentrated on a single plate but is distributed throughout the entire movement. Geneva stripes cover the mainplate, rotor bridge, and subplate, while a perlage finish is applied to the mainplate. The edges of the subplate spring and rotor bridge are chamfered, and the grooves and plate chamfers are diamond-polished.
The mainplate, rotor plates, bearing cage, and barrel cover are all finished with a sunburst brush. The ratchet features a snail pattern, while the gears and subplate spring are finished with a circular satin brush. These finishes work together to differentiate the moving, structural, and supporting components through variations in texture direction and light reflection, rather than a single, repeating pattern.
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Strap
The Ocean Drive Slim watch is available with a sky-blue or black strap, the numerals on the dial echoing the strap color and stitching. The integrated strap design keeps the strap snug against the lower edge of the tonneau-shaped case, avoiding the gaps often found in traditional watches. A black PVD-coated stainless steel folding clasp securely holds the watch in place, complementing the dark design of the case back.
Technical Specifications
Case: Vanguard tonneau-shaped case, constructed from 150 layers of aerospace-grade carbon fiber, with double-sided black inserts, sapphire crystal, and 30-meter water resistance.
Movement: In-house FM 708-S6 automatic movement, 29.9 mm in diameter, 3.73 mm thick, 125 parts, vibrating at 21,600 times per hour, 42-hour power reserve, displaying hours, minutes, and seconds.
Dial: Brushed dark dial with hand-painted and inlaid Arabic numerals, central hour and minute hands, and a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock.
Strap: Sky blue or black strap with matching stitching, black PVD-coated stainless steel folding clasp.
Reference Number: V 41 S S6 AT FO BECKER 150TH CARBONE (NR).
