Franck Muller and #FR2 unveil latest Vanguard Beach Limited Edition in summer hues
And now, the duo have reunited for a second collaboration. In the spirit of summer, the new #Fr2nck Muller Vanguard Beach Limited Edition ditches the original monochromatic colour scheme for brighter hues, evoking the carefree vibe of sun-soaked days and sea breezes. The palette is also a throwback to the Franck Muller Vanguard Beach collection which was also released in 2023.
The #Fr2nck Muller Vanguard Beach Limited Edition comes in three colourways – Heatwave Red, Surf Blue and Tropical Green, each available in just 300 pieces. Creating these vibrant colours was no small feat – glass is first melted at 1,500 degrees Celsius and drawn into extremely fine threads, before being cooled and formed into sheets at 700 degrees Celsius. The sheets are then dipped in special colour baths and compressed into fibreglass composite blocks.
The iconic #FR2 rabbits are once again the star of the show, this time engaged in various summer activities – lying under a beach umbrella, relaxing amongst lush vegetation or surfing.
As a playful detail, the date window is positioned at 2 o'clock, a clever nod to the '2' in #FR2 and a visual stand-in for the blazing summer sun. The rabbit motif and skeletonised obelisk hands are applied with Super-Luminova to give the dial a luminous glow in the dark at night.
The watch is fitted with a nylon strap lined with leather, printed with various details that nod to classic Japanese streetwear aesthetics. Powering the watch is Franck Muller's self-winding MVT 2536-SCDT2H movement.
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Love subtle and delicate scents? Discover 7 Japanese perfume brands to try now
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Grants are helpful for specific projects, but they don't solve the bigger issue of long-term sustainability. What local authors need are more direct and consistent forms of support like better book advances, more robust marketing efforts and broader distribution channels. One area that was recently talked about is Public Lending Right (PLR) – a system used in countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and across Europe. Through government funding, it compensates writers when their books are borrowed from libraries. This could provide a modest but meaningful income stream for local writers, especially in a market where book sales are limited. WHY SUPPORT SINGLIT? For every person who champions SingLit, there's probably someone else who doesn't read local books, nor sees the need to. But to say we can do without SingLit is shortsighted. When a country lacks stories written by its own people, it begins to lose its place in the global narrative. 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That period in my life was incredibly lonely, and I would've loved to lose myself in a book that felt like it understood me. I also wrote it for my own children, so they had more choices beyond the Eurocentric stories I grew up with. Representation matters. When you see someone like you – a kid from your neighbourhood, someone who sounds like your friends – as the hero of a story, it changes what you believe is possible. That's not just fiction. That's hope. But for those stories to keep coming, writers need support – whether it's PLR schemes, grants, or just making sure their books are on shelves and in homes. Without enough backing, even the most passionate authors can burn out. In a time when artificial intelligence is creeping into creative spaces, the human voice has become even more precious. There's a soul behind stories that only people can bring – our humour, heartbreaks, quirks and lived truths. And in Singapore, that voice is rare. That's worth preserving and supporting.
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Is filial piety ever enough? Comic strip on 'Why I gave up on my mother' goes viral
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