SpotlightGeneva Watch Days 2021: Frederique Constant Present Key Value Updates To Three Brand Pillars

Frederique Constant is a name that has always been associated with Swiss watchmaking that offers real value. With prices that don’t burn a hole through one’s pocket, the brand’s watches are fairly accessible, yet offer elements of fine watchmaking that are hard to find in its range. With finishing and decoration of their components that reflect attention to detail, the watches they create are also rather precise. They also have the capability to manufacture everything in-house, which they have done in the past. They only outsource the manufacturing of some components because it works out to be more cost-effective for them, and hence, helps them keep prices down for consumers. With their manufacturing capabilities, they’ve managed to create at least 30 in-house manufacture movements over time. Each of these have been met with acclaim and admiration for various reasons, price being a major factor. And it’s all about that, even when you consider their offering of complications across their repertoire. From power reserve indicators and chronographs to moon phase displays and perpetual calendars, their watches have a smattering of everything now and then—all quite accessible. And this year, they’re giving us their world timer complication in their newest collection.

With their manufacturing capabilities, Frederique Constant have create at least 30 in-house manufacture movements over time, the newest of which is this revolutionary Monolithic movement

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The Slimline Monolithic Manufacture features an oscialltor made of silicon, which helps improve accuracy, durability and efficiency

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The World Timer Leads The Highlife

Launched last year, with three editions—a COSC-certified automatic, a Heartbeat edition, and a perpetual calendar rendition—the Highlife collection now includes two new editions. Perhaps the most useful complication in this day and age of international correspondence more than even travel itself, the world timer is such a handy feature to have. Frederique Constant are no strangers to this complication. They’ve seen success with their in-house world timer calibre FC-718, in their Classics Worldtimer Manufacture watches. Now, that flagship calibre and complication has been introduced into the Highlife, with minor tweaks to the design to make it suitable for the sportier vibe of the Highlife.

Frederique Constant have seen success with their in-house world timer calibre FC-718. Now, that flagship calibre has been introduced into the Highlife collection, with minor tweaks

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It comes with an integrated bracelet that is easily interchangeable with two other straps in blue—in rubber and with a silky nubuck finishing, respectively—that complement the blue dial

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While the Classics rendition featured an outline of the world map, the Highlife Worldtimer has the motif of the Earth’s latitude and longitude—which is becoming a Highlife staple

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The city representing the local time at the centre is to be placed at 12 o’clock, and all cities on the time zone disc will then be aligned with the correct time on the 24-hour ring

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The key difference is that while the Classics rendition featured an outline of the world map, the Highlife Worldtimer has the motif of the Earth’s latitude and longitude—also seen in last year’s three launch editions mentioned above. They definitely seem more suited for this Highlife though. Other elements in the centre are the three hands that tell the time in one’s local time zone, as well as the analogue date display towards the lower side. Surrounding the central hour markers are the 24-hour ring and the time zone ring presenting 24 representative cities. The city representing the local time indicated at the centre is to be placed at the 12 o’clock position, and the central time on the 24-hour ring will also align with the city at 12. Every other city will also then be aligned with the correct time on the 24-hour ring, which is coloured in light and dark sections for an approximate indication of daytime and night time in a time zone that one might refer to. The greatest highlight of Frederique Constant’s in-house manufacture calibre FC-718, which runs the whole show, is that everything is adjustable by the one time-setting crown. This sportiest rendition of their Worldtimer comes in a 41mm Highlife steel case, with an integrated bracelet that is easily interchangeable with two other straps in blue—in rubber and with a silky nubuck finishing, respectively—that complement the blue dial of this watch.

Along with the Worldtimer, this year, Frederique Constant have also unveiled a Highlife Skeleton, with an open-worked dial

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Set in 41mm steel, the watch comes with a steel bracelet—also interchangeable with a complimentary rubber strap that matches the blue of the dial

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The dial features a mesh with the pattern of the globe seen across this collection, including the Worldtimer above

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The watch also comes in PVD-treated steel and titanium, with a monochromatic look in grey—also seen in the complimentary strap

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With moving parts revealed through the central portion, the surrounding part of dial features applied hour markers.

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Along with the Worldtimer, this year, Frederique Constant have also unveiled a Highlife Skeleton, with an open-worked dial featuring a mesh with the pattern of the globe seen across this collection, including the Worldtimer above. With moving parts revealed through the central portion, the surrounding part of dial, in blue, otherwise features applied hour markers. Set in 41mm steel, the watch comes with a steel bracelet—also interchangeable with a complimentary rubber strap that matches the blue of the dial. The watch also comes in PVD-treated steel and titanium, with a monochromatic look in grey—also seen in the complimentary strap.

The Monolithic Turn Of The Slimline

While the Highlife Skeleton reveals a lot more of the movement within, the new Monolithic Manufacture only reveals the most innovative element. Certainly a feather in the brand’s cap, Frederique Constant’s Slimline Monolithic Manufacture challenges the norms in mechanical watchmaking, with a concept that is rather simple in theory.

It’s an inventive approach to the mechanical movement’s regulating organ, replacing the balance with a silicon oscillator. The mechanism basically regulates time—through the oscillation of a wheel, dividing time into equal parts—and hence helps keep time, which is the basic function of a watch, making it absolutely essential. Now traditionally, the mechanism comprises about 26 parts, including metallic components that are assembled together. The Monolithic’s oscillator, on the other hand, has just three components that replace those 26.

Frederique Constant Slimline Monolithic EXPLORE THE COLLECTION

“The three components of the Monolithic’s regulator mechanism have replaced 26 components of the standard assortment of a regulator. Everything of the balance wheel is adjusted in one layer of silicon, with the oscillator at a thickness of 0.3mm,” informs Pim Koeslag, the technical director of Frederique Constant. “In addition to that, it oscillates at a high frequency of 2,88,000vph or 40Hz, which is 10 times that of a regular oscillator’s frequency (of 28,800vph).” Moreover, the oscillator is made of silicon, which makes it more durable, anti-magnetic, and even frictionless. This helps improve resistance against electro-magnetic forces, and hence accuracy, in addition to making the oscillator less vulnerable to wear-and-tear, enhancing longevity of the parts.

The idea behind this oscillator was the product of a discussion between Peter Stas, co-founder of Frederique Constant, and one Dr Nirma Tolou, founder and CEO of Flexous. An independent enterprise, Flexous develops and creates horology-oriented innovative mechanisms, and eventually partnered with Frederique Constant. As the technical partners, Flexous now produce the flexible, silicon oscillating system used in the Monolithic.

This collaboration also helped Frederique Constant to facilitate the production of the movement and the watch. “This is a production piece and not just a concept or prototype,” states Koeslag. “The idea was not to simply show innovation, but to make it available to people. It’s also priced quite reasonably, making it rather accessible as well.” The watches powered by this innovative new mechanism are Slimline watches with three-hand timekeeping and an analogue date display at 12 o’clock, while the ground-breaking oscillator is displayed through and open-worked section of the dial at six o’clock. The movement also offers accuracy with a maximum deviation of -4/+6 seconds (which is also COSC’s standard for chronometer certification of mechanical watches) and a power reserve of 80-hours. The Slimline Monolithic Manufacture is limited to 810 pieces each of two steel editions, and 81 pieces of one solid gold version.

The Drive Through Vintage Times

While the sporty Highlife Worldtimer brings us a useful complication and the Slimline Monolithic offers sheer innovation, the Vintage Rally Healey is an ode to the past with its retro-racing-inspired aesthetic. Extending their partnership with British carmakers, Austin Healey, Frederique Constant have unveiled the latest series of the Vintage Rally collection that has marked this association in the past. The latest edition is the Vintage Rally Healey Automatic Small Seconds, with elegant two-hand central timekeeping and a small seconds sub-dial at nine o’clock. The flagship version in steel comes with a dial in British racing green, complemented by a racing-inspired perforated leather strap in brown. Another steel version comes with a grey dial and strap, while a gold-plated alternative is complemented by blue. These 40mm automatic watches are all limited to 888 pieces each.

Frederique Constant Vintage Rally Healey EXPLORE THE COLLECTION

With old-world charm on the one hand, and a very modern take on mechanical timekeeping on the other, it’s clear that Frederique Constant have a lot to offer. From simple functionality to complex usefulness, their products do indeed present Swiss watchmaking with true value that’s hard to beat.