It was a single-engined tractor biplane with a waterproof hull in the form of a flying boat to allow the aircraft to be safely landed on water in an emergency.

[3] During February 1925, the aircraft completed its maritime acceptance tests, after which it was promptly entered into the Saint Raphael contest, where its performance was competitively evaluated against other entrants.

[2] The pilot was seated just aft of the wings in a position that provided favourable lateral and vertical visibility,[6] Behind the pilot's cockpit was a separate gunner's position, which was provisioned with a pair of flexibly mounted Lewis guns in rear cockpit; a fixed forward-firing pair of 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Vickers guns were also present, the latter being synchronised to the engine.

[2] The aircraft, despite possessing a conventional tractor configuration (which placed the engine within the nose to drive a twin-bladed propeller) and using a tailwheel undercarriage, it had a number of unusual features, some of which permitted it to be safely ditched in the water in the event of an emergency.

Accordingly, the fuselage, which was shaped in the form of a flying boat hull and had a plywood covering, was internally divided into watertight compartments while the underside was carefully streamlined.

[7] Furthermore, the undercarriage incorporated a special device that lifted it while performing a water landing to avoid the risk of instability and reduce the difficulty involved.

[6] The Villiers II entered service with Escadrille 5C1 based at Hyères near Toulon in Southern France in May 1927, with the aircraft never being operated from Béarn.