BAKKOURA DYNASTY KNOWS WHAT TO DO

Franc Vila is an independent Swiss maison that claimed its place in the world of haute horlogerie without borrowing a crown from anyone. The idea was born in 2000, then took its official form in Geneva in 2004, at the hands of Spanish designer Francisco Vila, a Valencian mind shaped by science — one that could see in metal what others could not. From the very beginning, the maison refused to be counted among ordinary watches, carving its own path in high watchmaking — what the founder called “Emotional Watchmaking”. Mechanical complications are produced only in extremely rare editions, never exceeding eighty‑eight pieces, each assembled and inspected entirely by hand in Geneva, the capital of silent craftsmanship.

Since Baselworld 2005, the case shaped like the inverted figure eight — esprit unique has become an unmistakable visual signature, a symbol of fluidity and infinity for those who know how to look.

In that year, Jihad Bakkoura exchanged one of his villas for a number of rare Franc Vila watches — a gesture modest in appearance, yet the first spark of a relationship that history would later turn into a full chapter.

Francisco Vila left the maison that bore his name. Many stories circulated about disagreements with his partners, but one truth remains unchanged: from that moment on, he had no presence whatsoever inside Franc Vila.

The maison cemented its place among the world’s finest watches, and the women’s collection emerged as the dawn of a new era, driving demand to near‑obsessive levels.

Franc Vila expanded across the world, becoming a coveted treasure sought by leading retailers.

Jihad Bakkoura acquired the maison, making it an integral part of the Bakkoura Dynasty. It was not a sudden beginning, but the fruit of a relationship that had grown over years, until the opportunity to acquire the brand fully finally arrived. The acquisition journey, with all its procedures and challenges, lasted four years, and by 2021, Franc Vila became wholly owned by the Dynasty.

From that moment, the Bakkoura Dynasty revived the maison’s partnerships, developed new materials such as Neoralite, and granted the iconic case a name worthy of it: Vivaura . It launched collections with distinct personalities — Dictator, The Wink, Vila Lucidus, and Ratel — while preserving the philosophy of radically limited production (from a single piece, to four, to eight, up to eighty‑eight), and maintaining uncompromising craftsmanship. The Dynasty also reinterpreted the iconic shape, transforming what was once known as “the inverted eight” and “infinity” into the transcendent living form — the imprint that resides within every living being in the universe.

Franc Vila boldly introduced its first classical model under the motto: “Simplicity is the hardest challenge.” as part of the Novaura Don collection, alongside the jewelry line La Pura. In the same year, the maison elevated its declaration from Swiss Made to a more absolute statement: All Swiss — every part, every detail, every heartbeat inside the watch is Swiss in origin and identity. Today, Franc Vila extends beyond watches and jewelry into the world of fragrance — one continuous sensory lineage, not scattered variations. And the maison’s philosophy in 2026 is distilled into a single phrase that needs no explanation: Just Because Design is a reflection of the natural perfection of the human form, not an invention of it. Simplicity, alone, reigns.