Like many other seasoned watch lovers, my affection for German watch maker Glashütte Original runs deep. It’s not just the classic yet spirited designs that tend to define the brand which are appealing, but it is also the enduring dedication to functionality and mechanical excellence that the region is known for. Yes, like many people who know watches well, I’m a big fan of what Glashütte in Saxony lends to the world of contemporary watches. So let’s look at one of the brand’s more avant-garde watches, yet one that is totally wearable on a daily basis, the Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date reference 1-37-02-03-02-70 with the blue dial on matching steel bracelet.
I recall first putting a Glashütte Original Seventies watch on my wrist back when the brand released the collection in 2011. I had seen the watch in pictures prior to trying it out and was pleasantly surprised how much more I liked it when wearing it than the images would have suggested. Like many timepieces, this is one of those pieces that just happens to come alive when on the wrist as opposed to being viewed in the vacuum of marketing images. I think that is because the cushioned square case with its finely made tapering bracelet is particularly flattering to the organic curves of one’s hand and arm – which allows the design to sell itself through aesthetics and wearability. If you’re curious about another take, we previously reviewed the non-chronograph version of the Seventies Panorama Date watch here. In 2014, Glashütte Original followed up by expanding the Seventies collection with the Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date that I review here today.
Speaking of square-cased watches, the Seventies case is 40mm wide by 40mm wide, and in the Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date version it is 13.5mm thick (water-resistant to 100m). That makes it a true square, and the case itself feels a lot more like a retro television screen, which is intentional. Square or non-round watches are difficult to get right. Getting the proportions and overall design of a non-round watch correct such that it is both legible and looks good on the wrist is quite hard to do. Though when it is done correctly it has the makings of a classic.
As a mental exercise, think of all the watches you can that are not round but are also timeless. There are a few of them, and they stand out amazingly well. Then, think of all the watches which have non-round cases which just didn’t work despite best efforts. If you know your watches, you’ll realize that the unsuccessful ones clearly outnumber the successful ones. So when it comes to non-round watches, there is great risk, but also great reward if the brand gets its right. In my opinion, the Glashütte Original Seventies, while not totally mainstream in its appeal, has the makings of a classic.
In a sense, it is already a contemporary classic. Even though the modern version came out just a few years ago, Glashütte Original didn’t just name it “Seventies” because it loosely reminded them of the era. Rather, this collection, which includes models on various straps and three different dial colors, is directly based on watches that the brand released in the 1970s. From the 1960s to the 1970s, Glashütte Original came out with a large selection of really interesting and very “out-there” stuff. That meant a lot of experimentation with colors and case shapes. Recall that this was during a time when the brand was actually state-controlled, as Saxony was in what was then East Germany, run as a communist state. Nevertheless, the state was quite liberal with its designs, and it was a golden age of design that the Glashütte Original brand of today regularly draws inspiration from. Another square-cased model the brand produces which is inspired by the 1960s is the Glashütte Original Sixties Square (hands-on here).
The Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date isn’t a cheap watch, but people get it for the case design, detailing, and of course, the in-house-made movement. As I said before, it does take a relatively seasoned watch lover to really appreciate all the details and unique style here. It’s all about the case, movement, dial, and bracelet – all of which are produced in Germany.
As all watches are sold or passed over because of their dial, let’s discuss the one on this Seventies Chronograph for a moment. This version is in a sunburst metallic blue, which is produced by Glashütte Original by their own dial-maker which is located elsewhere in the country, in Pforzheim, Germany. The blue is not just chemically applied, but done using a carefully designed technique using layers of varnish. Blue is a popular choice for watch dials today, and that’s a good thing since it offers a more inviting color than gray, and is a bit more friendly than, say, black, white, or silver. With that said, the challenge in making a good blue dial is in getting both the exact right shade and finishing. Too light or dark and it can easily ruin the appeal; too matte and it can look cheap; too glossy and it can affect legibility. So when you see a blue-colored dial that is done right, it’s easy to appreciate it.
A lot of the Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date dial is about referencing the past. You see that in the applied arrowhead-style hour markers, with small lume points applied manually around the periphery of the dial. The hands are perfectly sized in length, and painted with Super-LumiNova in the middle. They offer excellent contrast against the blue dial – which makes for a very welcome sense of readability in most lighting conditions. Both the hands and hour markers are produced from 18ct white gold – which allows for a nice polish and protects against tarnishing in the future.
Even though the Glashütte Original Seventies is more a sporty/casual watch, the hands and hour markers are a bit more formal in their design, albeit still easy to read. This was odd to me at first, but I came to appreciate it. The effect is a soothing, more traditional look that still has a bit of “polished pizazz” to it, which melds nicely with the otherwise sporty case. It makes for a sexy composition, which is a rare thing to say for a timepiece with a cushion-style square case. If there is one big compliment that I’d like to give the Glashütte Original Seventies case is that it manages to look sexy while also not looking typical.
The steel case and bracelet have excellent finishing, something the brand – and, for that matter, many high-quality German watches – is known for. The polished bezel is matched by the polished chronograph pushers and crown guard. The middle of the case is finely brushed, which reduces visual mass and adds to the sport appeal. Note the polished beveling on the case edges as well, which is a lovely touch. The bracelet is designed to integrate with the case, and it is rather complicated despite the simple three-link design. Like popular favorites like the Rolex GMT-Master II, the bracelet tapers to offer a more visually balanced (and comfortable) fit on the wrist, while the center link is polished being flanked by outer brushed links.
You’ll note that the bracelet is designed to have pretty much no gaps. It moves smoothly over the wrist thanks to tight tolerances and a construction that uses a large variety of different parts. Even sizing the bracelet is not typical, and designed to be semi-tool-less. In order to remove links, there are small pushers on the inside to release them. The bracelet’s fold-over locking deployant features a discreet micro-adjust system which has been in the Glashütte Original family in one manner or another for a good time now. In fact, Glashütte Original is among the first brands in the modern era to offer a well-engineered micro-adjust system.
What this does is allow you to have about a centimeter of distance to adjust the size of the bracelet in roughly single-millimeter increments. This is operated by the pressing the “hidden” button which is the Glashütte Original brand logo on the underside of the clasp. The reason you want this is that it allows you to expand and contract the bracelet size even while it is on your wrist to always ensure precise comfort as climate or other conditions can naturally cause your wrist size to slightly vary throughout the day.
Glashütte Original also offers the Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date (or the non-Chronograph version) on two strap options. These are a fitted alligator or rubber strap. each looks nice and is comfortable, but given that I’m a “bracelet guy,” I’ll choose the matching steel over a strap pretty much anytime.
I have to say that the Glashütte Original caliber 37 movements are among the best-kept secrets in the watch world for those who like chronographs. There is nothing else out there quite like it, and it should really get more attention for offering as much functionality as it does in a package that appears very simple and elegant. Its appeal certainly grew on me, and I think anyone who likes a cleverly designed chronograph-based movement will enjoy it.
From a functionality perspective, the caliber 37 (37-02 in this watch) offers the time with subsidiary seconds dial at 9 o’clock, big date (Glashütte Original likes to call it a “Panorama Date”) indicator, power reserve indicator, and flyback 12-hour chronograph. I’ll also note that it has a stop seconds feature (which means that when you pull the crown out, the seconds hand stops so that you can more precisely set the time).
The chronograph appears to be a mere 30-minute chronograph at first, but then you see that hours are counted not via a dial, but a moving disc visible under 12 o’clock. I was concerned about the legibility of something like this at first, but I learned to really love it – and actually find this system for reading a 12-hour chronograph superior to most others. Like I said, the chronograph is a flyback, and operated via a column wheel transmission that you can view in the movement when seeing it through the sapphire crystal through the rear of the case.
Finally, Glashütte Original completes the high-functionality package by including a discreet power reserve indicator inside the upper left quadrant of the subsidiary seconds dial. It does cut out a small bit of the dial’s indicators, but that is a very small price to pay for this added functionality that I really enjoy. From a performance perspective, the 37-02 movement operates at 4Hz (28,800bph) with a power reserve of about three days.
In addition to being very nicely decorated, the Calibre 37 automatic movement has a number of features you expect to find in high-quality Glashütte-region mechanical movements. It begins by using a traditional 3/4 plate construction, which means that the back plate of the watch covers more area, and results in a stronger, more durable design. You then have a swan neck fine-adjustment system as part of the regulation system that, when mixed with the 14ct gold screws in the balance wheel, make for a system that a watchmaker can tweak for very precise accuracy.
The movement also has an expected level of decor at a watch priced like this including polished surfaces, beveled edges, and blued steel screws. The automatic rotor is also skeletonized (and given the Glashütte Original brand logo) to make viewing the movement a bit easier, and further weighted with a strip of 21ct gold. Also really nice is the fact that when you view the movement through the rear of the case you can appreciate that it takes up most of the case – as, oftentimes, people don’t like when a movement is placed in a case that is too large for it.
It’s difficult to find areas of fault in the Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date. Sure, you might not personally like the design, but for what it is, Glashütte Original spent an intense level of refinement on pretty much all details. Nothing about this watch really says “improve me,” beyond small taste preferences or quirks that people might subjectively want changed. To me, wearing a watch like this feels very much like you are strapping on a pure expression of the what the brand seeks to evoke in their products.
The Glashütte Original logo, with its dual Gs design has one G facing forward and one G facing backward. This is an honest metaphor for what the brand is, and the idea is that half of their mind is focused on the past, and half is focused on the future. In many ways, that sums up the Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date pretty well given its several nods to the past in terms of the case and dial design, along with having a regionally traditional mechanical movement, as well as looking ahead by being a contemporary luxury watch with a strong personality and impressive movement meant to be what fine watch lovers are looking for now and into the future. Price for the reference 1-37-02-03-02-70 Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date
Frederique Constant Smartwatch Gents Classics
The Frederique Constant Smartwatch Gents Classics comes from the luxury Swiss watchmaker’s latest collection of hybrid smartwatches, which for the first time includes models for women.
Unlike the new Notify models, the Classics doesn’t offer notification support, instead focusing on discreetly adding fitness tracker features. So it’ll count steps, log sleep and even buzz you if you’ve been inactive for too long. It’s still a WorldTimer smartwatch so you’ll be able to check other time zones with a simple press of the crown.
3The iOS and Android-friendly hybrid unsurprisingly doesn’t come cheap. This mens model we tried out costs a not so wallet-friendly $1,295, but that’s pretty much in keeping with the Swiss watchmaker’s philosophy to merge luxurious design with added smarts.
So does Frederique Constant’s latest hybrid get the balance right? Here’s our full verdict on the Horological Classics.
Just like its predecessors, this is a beaut of a watch. From the 42mm, rose gold plated stainless steel watch case to the brown leather strap with fine yellow stitching, this is every bit the luxury timepiece.
This is just one of the Frederique Constant Smartwatch Gents Classics models available with different strap and case variations also on offer (starting from $995), so if this look isn’t for you, there are more options. But we’re definitely fans of this combo.
The navy watch face compliments that gold exterior and the indexes. Yes, we’re gushing about how good it looks, but it’s one of the nicest hybrid smartwatches we’ve had the pleasure of wearing.
It’s a hybrid but you wouldn’t know otherwise. There’s no secondary dial like previous WorldTimer models and it doesn’t carry any extra bulk, making it a really light and comfortable watch to wear during the day and at night. The only real hint of its smarts lie in the small icons hidden within the watch face that indicate when it’s in either activity or sleep tracking mode.
As far as physical features go, there’s a crown that’s not actually a crown in the traditional sense. You’re not going to be able to twist it to adjust the time. It’s been replaced by a button that’s used to switch between tracking modes and to bring the Worldtimer mode into action. If you need a reminder, that lets you briefly check another time zone. It’s a nice touch.
Hands-on: Montblanc Summit review
The Frederique Constant Smartwatch Gents Classics is water resistant up to 50 metres so it’s fit for the pool. The problem is that we wouldn’t recommend jumping in with that fine leather strap unless you’re happy to have a soggy strap around your wrist for the rest of the day.
So we’ve established this is a gorgeous looking watch, now here’s what it can actually do. It’s more of a fitness tracker/watch hybrid than smartwatch because you can’t receive notifications. It uses familiar motion tracking sensors like an accelerometer to count steps, distance and estimate calorie burn. It will also track sleep, but it’s not done automatically, so you’ll need to switch it on from the crown or from inside of the app.
There are also a few other fitness tracker-style features that make the cut, like inactivity alerts, which sends a vibrating buzz to the watch. It’s pretty subtle though and there’s no way to control the strength of that vibration either. There’s also a smart alarm to wake you up, and here the buzzing is a little stronger.
Frederique Constant (left and centre) and Withings Steel HR (right)
As far as accuracy is concerned we put it up against the Withings Steel HR and there was a step count difference of around 500-600 steps. On a day when I ran though it was up to around 2,000 steps. No two fitness trackers are ever likely to dish out identical stats because of the different tracking algorithms used, but I was generally happy on those days where the majority of my active time was from walking.
Sleep tracking was pretty good as well, despite the annoyance that automatic sleep monitoring is not offered, so it’s a lot easier to forget to turn it on before you go to bed. The data compared to the Steel HR data was roughly in the same ballpark. It breaks things down into deep sleep, light sleep and awake time, the kind of metrics we see from most fitness trackers. You can also see total sleep, the time you fell asleep and the amount of times you woke up during the night. Ultimately, don’t expect anything groundbreaking here, but it does do the basics well.
To get things set up and to review your data you need to have the MMT-365 smartphone app downloaded to your iPhone or Android phone. Not the MotionX app, which we initially downloaded that uses an identical app icon. It’s the same app layout, but it will not pair with the Classics watch.
It’s near enough an identical layout to when we first encountered the companion app a couple of years ago. The focal point is the main home screen that displays data in three rings, a system also used by the Apple Watch, but on the Frederique Constant Smartwatch Gents Classics these represent your activity, sleep and coach. To sync data, you’ll need to press the crown on the watch, which activates the hands and should illuminate the two or three of the rings on the app (depending whether you’ve had a sleep).
There’s also a breakdown of that data in percentages below the rings. This is a bit like Jawbone’s Smart Coach where you can view daily, weekly, and monthly trends for steps, calories burned and sleep. You’ll also get activity and sleep insights with bits of trivia that’ll tell you things like how much yard work burns calories, or how that five minutes after the end of a dream, you forget 50% of the dream’s content. Not always useful, but interesting nonetheless.
A final screen offers a surprising amount of additional features to tinker with including adjusting step and sleep goals. It also reveals that there’s an additional sleep mode letting you place the watch under your pillow and to automatically turn off sleep tracking after you’ve walked 250 steps.
There are additional fitness-focused features including a stopwatch and BMR calories, which is essentially counting calories including your basal metabolic rate (BMR). These are the calories your body burns at rest, computed from height, weight, age and gender.
It still offers cloud storage to back up your data to restore sleep and activity data, access to the SwisConnect Messenger messaging system and free access to SwissConnect Gym. This is an additional app that offers personalised training and nutritional programs.
The app is really easy to use and also offers some interesting ideas here that would be welcome additions to more traditional fitness trackers that we’ve seen from Fitbit, Misfit, Garmin and company.
Frederique Constant Smartwatch Ladies Vitality
Frederique Constant Smartwatch Ladies Vitality introduced its latest connected watch, the Smartwatch Vitality, bursting with technology and featuring a digital dial revealed on demand. In addition to the features that were key to the success of its predecessors, the Smartwatch Vitality embraces a major innovation in the form of a new generation, integrated sensor developed by Philips Wearable Sensing, which can measure the heart rate directly from the wrist.
Back in 2015, Frederique Constant Smartwatch Ladies Vitality unveiled its Horological Smartwatch. More than a new timepiece, it created a new segment within the watchmaking industry. For the very first time, a Swiss manufacture had designed, developed and assembled a watch with a classic Swiss Made aesthetic (analogue dial and hands) endowed with onboard intelligence, and powered by a quartz movement supported by a connected module with two years of autonomy.
The Horological Smartwatch was followed by two other developments: The Horological Smartwatch Notify (2016) – based on the same principle, with additional notifications for calls and messages – and the Classic Hybrid Manufacture (2018), the first model to combine a Manufacture movement with intelligent functionalities. Today marks a new chapter in this great saga: The Smartwatch Vitality.
As with previous iterations, the Smartwatch Vitality represents a major breakthrough, in line with the continuous innovation championed by Frederique Constant. And yet, at first glance, none of this is visible; once again, the Manufacture has committed itself to a classically elegant and timeless looking watch, but one that harbours the ultimate connected technology… without giving anything away.
The Smartwatch Vitality has a dial with two faces – a first at Frederique Constant. The first is characterised by Roman numerals and hand-polished hour and minute hands… chic and contemporary classicism for those who appreciate sophisticated timepieces with a refined look.
When pressing the crown, the dial reveals a digital display on its lower part that allows the user to access numerous information like the heart rate, the activity tracker, a second time zone and even the last five messages from your favourite apps, among other things. The dial lets the light of the digital screen placed behind it, shine through. The latter displays connected functionalities – itself connected to the watch’s microprocessor.
Since the Smartwatch Vitality model is connected to the Frederique Constant Smartwatch App (available for iOS and Android), all the functionalities of the watch may be configured directly via the application. The user can choose to display all the timepiece’s connected functions on the screen or configure a selection of information only. For an even more personalized usage, the order in which the information can be passed can also be determined.
To move from one function to another, all the user needs to do is push the crown: simple, intuitive, immediate. As soon as the latter has taken note of the desired information, the digital screen returns to standby mode and is once more invisible to the eye. The Smartwatch Vitality then regains its classic and elegant appearance in an instant.
The Frederique Constant Smartwatch Ladies Vitality benefits from technological advances made by the Manufacture over the past five years. It is powered by the FC-287 calibre (men’s models) and FC-286 calibre (ladies’ models). Once again, Frederique Constant is leveraging quartz technology for the user’s benefit.
The battery of the Smartwatch Vitality is rechargeable and lasts up to 7 days for the ladies’ models and 11 days for the men’s models, depending on the usage. What is more, advances in miniaturisation allowed the 36 mm diameter ladies’ model to offer the same functionality as the 42 mm model.
The four ladies’ models are shaped in a 36 mm polished stainless-steel, rose gold-plated or two-tone gold/steel case. The women’s designs combine elegance and grace with a floral pattern spread over the dial, around which eight-hour markers are set with diamonds.
In terms of straps, Frederique Constant wanted to give customers plenty to choose from. Each of the ladies’ models comes with a leather strap or steel bracelet but can equally be accessorised with a range of five other stylish and sporty rubber straps. Match your Smartwatch Vitality to your mood with straps in colours such as purple, white, pink, red and grey, sold separately.
Frederique Constant Smartwatch Gents Vitality
Hot on the heels of the Hublot Big Bang e comes the Frederique Constant Smartwatch Gents Vitality.y. It’s a hybrid: a quartz analogue timepiece with a “magic” digital display at the six. Cute! But this dog won’t hunt. Which isn’t surprising, considering its bloodline . . .
Frederique Constant’s first hybrid smartwatch debuted in 2015. The Horological Smartwatch monitored steps, tracked sleep and provided basic notifications.
The information was transferred, analyzed and controlled by a bespoke phone app, synced with the watch (via Bluetooth) by pressing the crown. The hands’ position indicated steps, sleep and the existence of a notification.
In 2016, Frederique Constant updated their Horological Smartwatch, adding a subdial and two more hands.
The Gents Classic Horological Smartwatch is still on FC’s website for $1295, available elsewhere for $495.
Not to put too fine a point on it, the updated Horological Smartwatch joins its predecessor’s journey to the scrapheap of horological history.
Enter the 2020 Frederique Constant Smartwatch Vitality. Vitality because the hybrid smartwatch includes a Philips Wearable Sensing heart rate monitor.
According to healthy.io.com, 64 beats per minute resting is 5.9% slower than the typical adult average of 73 bpm for both sexes. If FC sending a subtle message that the Smartwatch Vitality isn’t all that exciting? Or is someone in the PR department a Beatles’ fan?
Either way, the Smartwatch Vitality HR monitor is hardly a compelling sales proposition. Click here for six smart watches featuring up-to-date heart rate monitors, priced from $88 to $400.
In fact, Frederique Constant Smartwatch Gents Vitality. have had HR monitoring since Medieval times. Today’s smartwatch makers are busy adding to a wide range of health-related functions that save wearers’ lives.
Old tech in a high tech world. How can Frederique Constant even begin to sell this thing? Here’s their PR peeps’ pitch:
When pressing the crown, the dial reveals a digital display on its lower part that allows the user to access numerous information like the heart rate, the activity tracker, a second time zone and even the last five messages from your favourite apps, among other things.
What favorite apps? Among other things? What things?
There’s a second time zone and a stopwatch function. But that leaves hundreds of “things” the FC Smartwatch Vitality can’t do that an Apple Watch and any other “proper” smartwatch can. Including an always-on display.
Don’t get me wrong. I get it. The Frederique Constant Smartwatch Vitality is a classic Swiss watch first, a crap smartwatch second. Only a classic Swiss watch doesn’t become obsolete. A smartwatch – especially a hybrid – does.
Judging from Frederique Constant’s video, the Smartwatch Vitality is aimed at women. Really? There’s only one market for the Vitality with any real potential: old people intimidated by smartwatches who want a smartwatch. The same folks who buy one of those dumbed down, big number flip phones.
Frederique Constant introduces its latest connected watch, the Smartwatch Vitality, bursting with technology and featuring a digital dial revealed on demand. In addition to the features that were key to the success of its predecessors, the Smartwatch Vitality embraces a major innovation in the form of a new generation, integrated sensor developed by Philips Wearable Sensing, which can measure the heart rate directly from the wrist.
Back in 2015, Frederique Constant unveiled its Horological Smartwatch. More than a new timepiece, it created a new segment within the watchmaking industry. For the very first time, a Swiss manufacture had designed, developed and assembled a watch with a classic Swiss Made aesthetic (analogue dial and hands) endowed with onboard intelligence, and powered by a quartz movement supported by a connected module with two years of autonomy.
The Horological Smartwatch was followed by two other developments: the Horological Smartwatch Notify (2016) – based on the same principle, with additional notifications for calls and messages – and the Classic Hybrid Manufacture (2018), the first model to combine a Manufacture movement with intelligent functionalities. Today marks a new chapter in this great saga: the Smartwatch Vitality.
As with previous iterations, the Smartwatch Vitality represents a major breakthrough, in line with the continuous innovation championed by Frederique Constant. And yet, at first glance, none of this is visible; once again, the Manufacture has committed itself to a classically elegant and timeless looking watch, but one that harbours the ultimate connected technology… without giving anything away.
The Smartwatch Vitality has a dial with two faces – a first at Frederique Constant. The first is characterised by Roman numerals and hand-polished hour and minute hands… chic and contemporary classicism for those who appreciate sophisticated timepieces with a refined look.
When pressing the crown, the dial reveals a digital display on its lower part that allows the user to access numerous information like the heart rate, the activity tracker, a second time zone and even the last five messages from your favourite apps, among other things. The dial lets the light of the digital screen placed behind it, shine through. The latter displays connected functionalities -itself connected to the watch’s microprocessor.
Since the Smartwatch Vitality model is connected to the Frederique Constant Smartwatch App (available for iOS and Android), all the functionalities of the watch may be configured directly via the application.
The user can choose to display all the timepiece’s connected functions on the screen or configure a selection of information only. For an even more personalized usage, the order in which the information can be passed can also be determined.
To move from one function to another, all the user needs to do is push the crown: simple, intuitive, immediate. As soon as the latter has taken note of the desired information, the digital screen returns to standby mode and is once more invisible to the eye. The Smartwatch Vitality then regains its classic and elegant appearance in an instant.
The Smartwatch Vitality benefits from technological advances made by the Manufacture over the past five years. It is powered by the FC-287 calibre (men’s models) and FC-286 calibre (ladies’ models). Once again, Frederique Constant is leveraging quartz technology for the user’s benefit.
The battery of the Smartwatch Vitality is rechargeable and lasts up to 7 days for the ladies’ models and 11 days for the men’s models, depending on the usage. What is more, advances in miniaturisation allowed the 36 mm diameter ladies’model to offer the same functionality as the 42 mm model.
The new Frederique Constant Smartwatch Gents Vitality. has a wide variety of intelligent features, which details, and objectives, can be defined via the App directly.
Tudor 79210CNU-0001
On my wrist, right now, is a Tudor Black Bay Ceramic, with a black bezel, vintage 2015. In a way, this is peak Black Bay, or at least, peak Black Bay of a certain era. The watch, as Ben Clymer noted in 2012, is not a reproduction of any particular vintage Tudor. Instead, it’s a combination of greatest-hits design cues from vintage Tudor dive watches, including the snowflake hands Tudor first used for the Tudor Submariner ref. 7016/0, in 1968, the big crown from the ref. 7922, first used in 1954, as well as its slab-sided case design and gilt dial.
And the movement is also peak Tudor – of a certain era. It’s a modified ETA 2824. Tudor applied its own finishing to the main plate, bridges, ratchet wheel, and screw heads, and used a Kif anti-shock system for balance pivots, as well as modifying the escape wheel teeth and pallet fork to produce greater rate stability (even after six years, mine keeps excellent time). What all that means is that while the base caliber was supplied by ETA, extra trouble was taken to make sure that if not a Rolex caliber, the movement could keep time to Rolex standards.
While the watch was, in terms of design, a bit of a new direction for Tudor – and controversial among some enthusiasts at launch, because it was in fact not a copy paste of a vintage Tudor Sub – it had, and has, its own retro-nostalgia appeal. Tudor fans are still waiting for a straight reboot of the Tudor Submariner (and I suspect we can just keep waiting) but, then and now, the Black Bay has oodles of charm if you like that sort of thing at all. Today’s model has switched out the rose on the dial for a shield (full disclosure, I miss the rose) but it’s still a lot of bang for the buck. The movement is the in-house(ish) MT5602, with silicon balance spring, and the price has hardly gone up at all – a measly fifty bucks, at $3,475 on a strap, vs. $3,425 in 2015.
The reason I’m going through all this is because that watch, compared to the new Black Bay Ceramic, shows an interesting arc of product development, as well as evolution of design at Tudor.
The Black Bay Ceramic, first of all, is visibly and immediately a Black Bay. Sure, it’s in ceramic now, but there’s still the familiar slab-sided case, with its tank-like proportions (and I mean the armored fighting vehicle, not the Cartier wristwatch). It’s a lighter watch, thanks to the case material, but it’s still at its heart the burly, retro-adjacent sports watch we’ve all come to know and love.
Or is it? While the original Black Bay (and BB 58) made no bones about reaching for the retro, the Black Bay Ceramic is in some ways a totally new Black Bay. No slightly Ye Olde Vintage Watch cues here. Instead, we have a slickly rendered exercise in glossy and matte black textures, without a speck of color anywhere. The gilt is gone, with the dial legend now in muted grayscale lettering, and the ceramic bezel is uncompromising in its devotion to the Dark Side – there isn’t even a bezel lume pip.
If you’re used to what the Tudor Black Bay Ceramic was before the Ceramic debuted, it’s actually shocking. It’s also eerily beautiful. The luminous markers and hands seem to float, glowing by their own light, like the landing lights on the deck of an aircraft carrier at night.
It’s a thought-provoking watch, and indeed comes across as a bit of an intentional provocation (which is not a new thing for either Rolex or Tudor – think of that platinum anniversary Daytona from 2013, or more recently, Tudor’s 2019 P01 – both watches that had a non-zero percentage of enthusiasts gnashing their teeth). The whole thing is, yes, a Black Bay, but in its slick, icy modernity, it also seems a rejection of everything we thought the Black Bay stood for. The fact that there’s no lume pip means you’re pushing it even calling this a “dive watch.”
It’s also, not gonna lie, gasp-inducingly handsome. Both back and front – that METAS-certified MT5602-IU is almost as nicely turned out on the back, as the watch is topside – it’s got all the sable seductiveness of an SR-71 Blackbird. Unlike the spy plane, though, the color scheme of the BB Ceramic isn’t driven by practical considerations – it is, instead, design for the sake of design.
But that’s not a dealbreaker. Tudor, let’s not forget, has a perfectly nice, purely practical dive watch – the Pelagos – in its collections. The BB Ceramic isn’t that, exactly, but then, it never has been.
Oh, sure, the original version I have on right now is arguably a more practical dive watch – at least, the bezel was obviously intended to be readable and I don’t think anyone would accuse the BB Ceramic bezel of striving for legibility (the numbers basically disappear in low light).
At the same, though, the Black Bay was always the more design-oriented, between it and the Pelagos – at first, in a gently retro-kitsch fashion, and now, in a much more contemporary idiom. It is less a dive watch than an illustration, so to speak, of a dive watch, but it gets points for style and contemporary flair which the original never dreamt of. And this kind of evolution is hardly unique to Tudor – there are only about a bajillion floridly colorful G-Shocks which are hell and gone from the Brutalist charm of the original DW-5000.
The whole thing makes me wonder just how the Black Bay Ceramic would have landed if the caliber MT5602-IU hadn’t been part of the launch as well. Purely from the standpoint of utility, it seems as if it’d have made more sense to launch it in the Pelagos – a contemporary technical movement for a contemporary technical dive watch.
That’s not how Tudor decided to play it. Instead, they went for something much more apt to become a talking piece (our launch article has 250+ comments and counting, which is something you usually have to be a travel clock or a Black Panther Royal Oak Concept to pull off) and while the grumpy enthusiast in me wishes they’d used it as a chance to bring the Pelagos back into the foreground, I don’t think there’s any doubt that making something as provocative and punchy as the Black Bay Ceramic was a viable strategy too.
That said, producing the first METAS-certified watch that doesn’t say “Omega” on the dial is undoubtedly a power move no matter how you slice it. It’s worth remembering that METAS is not just about resistance to magnetism, although that’s a big part of it. There is quite a bit more to the standard, including stringent precision and durability tests (applied to the whole watch, not just the movement – the COSC, which certifies chronometers, tests movements only). Having Tudor (and by extension, Rolex) support the standard is more than just an obvious challenge to Omega; it’s also a validation of the standard’s potential as a distinguishing feature in Swiss watchmaking in general. I can only assume everyone at the Federal Office Of Metrology in Bern had an extra glass of schnapps after lunch when they got the news.
And, not to put too fine a point on it, it’s a darned – no ma’am, a damned fine looking watch. It’s not what we have gotten used to thinking of when we think of the Black Bay, but that’s both okay and necessary, as the lineup of watches from Tudor evolves. I don’t know if I’m cool enough to pull one off – but someone is.
Tudor has been making some surprising moves lately, including (depending on your expectations) an 18k gold version of the Black Bay 58, and a sterling silver version of the same watch as well. Now Tudor’s announced another surprise: The Black Bay Ceramic. This is a Black Bay with a full ceramic case and ceramic bezel insert, and the watch has a new movement as well – the caliber MT5602-1U.
The most notable feature of the watch, however, is one you can’t see. This is the first watch from Tudor to be certified by the Swiss Federal Institute Of Metrology in Bern (METAS) which in 2015, in partnership with Omega, developed a new certification standard for wristwatches. METAS certification requires the watch in question to be Swiss-made and COSC-certified, and as well, to pass a battery of additional tests. These include testing the watch for precision in 6 positions and at two levels of power reserve (100% and 33%) as well as waterproofness, length of power reserve, and most importantly, resistance to magnetic fields. The new Black Bay Ceramic is resistant to magnetic fields up to at least 15,000 gauss, which makes it, for all intents and purposes, completely resistant to magnetism in daily life.
All testing for METAS certification is done at Tudor HQ in Geneva. Another first for the watch is on the dial – this is the first Black Bay to actually say “Black Bay” on the dial. HODINKEE’s Danny Milton says, “Usually the dial has the depth rating (gone) and ‘Chronometer Officially Certified’ (gone). Went from three lines to two lines of text which I think people will like.”
This is actually not the first Tudor 79210CNU Black Bay in ceramic – you might remember that that honor goes to a watch Tudor created for the Only Watch benefit auction in 2019 (the auction is held every two years, and proceeds go to benefit research into therapies and a cure for muscular dystrophy). That watch was the Tudor 79210CNU Black Bay Ceramic One, which hammered for CHF 350,000. The new Black Bay Ceramic is, however, the first full production Tudor Black Bay in ceramic.
This is also the first time that a METAS certified watch has been produced by a brand other than Omega, which up until now has monopolized the certification.
The production of a METAS certified watch by Tudor is a logical move. For one thing, it means that the company is now in the forefront of technical mechanical horology, and it gives it a very strong competing value proposition with other brands, especially those producing sports watches and dive watches in the sub-$5000 range. It also serves to further distinguish Tudor from Rolex, which is increasingly important moving forward. Tudor’s ability to present designs that set it apart from the Crown has become more and more firmly established in recent years, and while its own family of calibers were a distinguishing feature, the Tudor movements (which come from Kenissi) now have, with METAS certification, a major advantage for the consumer.
Frederique Constant Ladies Automatic
Following the launch of the first Highlife models unveiled last September, Frederique Constant is adding a new collection especially for women, simply named “Frederique Constant Highlife Ladies Automatic“. The latter features three designs – the Highlife Ladies Automatic Sparkling, Frederique Constant Highlife Ladies Automatic Heart Beat and Highlife Ladies Automatic – combining over 30 years of watchmaking expertise and the desire to come up with an authentic creation for 21st century women. The timepieces in this collection also feature the Highlife’s hallmark strap, which is built into the case and can be changed at will – the secret to making watches truly timeless and ensuring they always strike the right note.
Over 20 years ago now, back in 1999, Frederique Constant Highlife Ladies Automatic introduced the very first Highlife watches. In 2020, the Maison revived the iconic design, reintroducing the collection with resolutely modern curves rooted in the 21st century. Owing to its popularity, the latter inspired the eponymous collection for women, unveiled this year for watchmaking enthusiasts, the sophisticated and fashion-forward modern women of today and tomorrow. The Highlife Ladies Automatic collection adds a new dimension to the definition of accessible luxury according to Frederique Constant. Graceful yet assertive, the delicate 34 mm diameter watch combines the subtlety of an exquisitely feminine timepiece with the presence of one that asserts its identity and unique character. The new design translates into both taut and flexible lines, the modernity of a creation that denies nothing of its craftsmanship, balance or style.
Of course, the new collection features the integrated and interchangeable strap that has become the hallmark of Highlife stamped timepieces. The design merges case and strap in the same continuity, just like the women fitting two or even three days into one, with fluidity and energy.
A closely guarded secret, the first link holds the key to the invisible integrated system that makes it possible to change the strap at will and without the need for tools. For those whose elegance embraces everything they do, Frederique Constant allows wearers to change the strap as often as an outfit, occasion or mood dictates, helping them overcome the challenges of daily life and be fulfilled.
Highlife Ladies Automatic Sparkling: part of eternity on your wrist
The first piece from this collection – the new Highlife Ladies Automatic Sparkling – is intended for modern women looking for uncompromising elegance and an accessory that can keep up with their everyday life without sacrificing charm, finesse or authenticity.
Reproducing the various nuances of the Milky Way on the wrist, this true ode to femininity invites the wearer on a journey. The cosmic blue dial of the Highlife Ladies Automatic Sparkling features various specks, representing stars. The contemporary product of an original design by the Manufacture that met with worldwide success, it has been replicated and upgraded for the first time within the new Highlife Ladies.
At the centre of its dial, you can almost catch a glimpse of celestial gleam, with its delicate nuances reflected in the bezel, which is fully set with diamonds. Like stars scattering the vastness of space, eight diamond index hour markers complete this cosmic and dreamlike composition, which comes with a steel strap, as well as a second interchangeable white rubber strap. The combination of steel, diamond and wonderfully pure rubber range in colour from pale grey to the shiniest diamond, via infinite nuances depending on the reflections adorning the piece. In sunlight or moonlight, from midday to midnight, the Highlife Ladies Automatic Sparkling moves around the sun and the moon dial with grace and modernity, beating to the rhythm of those who live for the moment.
Highlife Ladies Automatic: The Essence of Frederique Constant
The Highlife Ladies Automatic is the perfect balance of classic, sporty and modern. Depending on your individual preference, it can also be customised by swapping the original bracelet for the rubber strap supplied with the watch. The first all-steel variation with its black dial and additional khaki strap can be made to take on a modern and adventurous look, for those who want a timepiece suited to everyday life and able to keep up with them in all situations.
The second, more glamorous version, is entirely rose gold plated and comes with an additional pink rubber strap. Girly and trendy, complete with diamond-set bezel, the piece fully embraces the spirit of excellence and refinement intrinsic to the Geneva-based watchmaker.
Finally, the third version puts the emphasis on grey, as can be seen on its subdued yet luminous dial. The steel/grey dial model also comes with another interchangeable strap, this time in sky blue rubber.
Each of these variations features the engraved globe on the surface of the dial that plays with multiple shades of light, another feature of the Highlife models. Hands and applique hour markers are tinged with luminescent material, the last of them, positioned at 12 o’clock, is always doubled – another Highlife signature detail, the only choice for those for whom the right time is first and foremost… theirs!
Frederique Constant Highlife Ladies Automatic Heart Beat: The next generation
The latest Highlife Ladies Automatic Heart Beat models capture the legacy of the Manufacture and carry it toward new creative horizons. At 12 o’clock, the pieces proudly display the window on their mechanical heart, made famous by Frederique Constant. Known as the “Heart Beat”, it lets you see the beating heart of the watch, its mechanical movement. It also reveals some essential components of Swiss Made precision.
Alongside this emblematic feature of the Maison, you’ll find the famous engraved globe. Symbolising the Earth, unity and balance, it is also the icon of a new generation that shares the same ideal for sustainable and sensible living – an ethic in perfect harmony with that of Frederique Constant, which champions quality, reliable watches that are both transferable and accessible to as many people as possible.
Two Highlife Ladies Automatic Heart Beat models have been specially created for modern women who want to embrace grace and elegance at all times. They come in an all-steel option, or in rose gold plated steel, complete with rose gold-plated bezel and crown. For the detail-oriented, each version comes with an additional interchangeable rubber strap – sky blue in the case of the steel version and pink for the two-tone version. The Highlife Ladies Automatic Heart Beat can be made to look classic or stylish, cheeky or elegant to suit the time, mood or season!
Heading for a new horizon
In addition, the Highlife Ladies Automatic collection opens-up new prospects for the Geneva-based Maison, whose primary mission is to create sophisticated watches with high-quality finishes at an affordable price. Contemporary curves in keeping with the times, which nevertheless do not compromise on elegance, one of the fundamentals of Frederique Constant. Indeed, the latest Highlife creations are designed to accentuate and reveal the personality of the women who make them their best friend.
Their feminine qualities designed to accentuate the character of their lucky owners, these Highlife creations also aim to rally them around the symbol of intercontinental unity represented by the globe, which is proudly displayed in the centre of the dial. To help illustrate this idea, the Maison organised a photo shoot featuring women from all over the world, from Rio to Moscow, via Los Angeles, London, Paris, Milan and Dubai. Discover a watch for every look and aligned with the respective cultures of these international women, united under the aegis of the Highlife collection.
Frederique Constant Ladies Automatic Small Seconds
The most intense moments and most vivid memories can be counted in seconds. Oftentimes, a look, a gesture, or a few words are enough to etch a precious moment on one’s memory. This precious moment is what the new “Ladies Automatic Small Seconds” embodies. “Moment” because the piece now features an off-centre small seconds hand at 9 o’clock. “Precious” because the range now includes four new completely redesigned models that vie to outdo each other in subtlety, grace and femininity.
The Ladies Automatic collection truly embodies the spirit of Frederique Constant Ladies Automatic Small Seconds. with its original creations developed by and for women. Their designs hug the curves of the sophisticated 36 mm case, allowing us to bring you an authentic and affordable Swiss Made timepiece.
This emblematic collection now embraces four new models: two of them pink gold-plated and two of them steel. Underpinning the collection is a brand new dial. Pride of place has been given to a small seconds hand, a delicate complication, off-centre at 9 o’clock. Playing on the eye-catching asymmetry, the piece mixes three shades (blue, white or brown) with a mother-of-pearl hour circle. The first three are complemented by a navy blue alligator leather strap, while the final piece comes with a brown alligator leather strap coordinating with the dial.
The dial has also been specially reworked for these new Ladies Automatic Small Seconds. In the centre of the hours displayed in large Roman numerals, Frédérique Constant has incorporated a popular pattern amongst its women’s models. The vertical chevron pattern produces a unique relief effect by capturing, reflecting and diffusing the light.
This new guilloché decoration is finished with hour and minute hands, the first of which is topped off with a motif inspired by the shape of a heart, an intricate and romantic declaration for marking the best of times. Beside them, the small seconds hand hovers over a sunray disc.
Each timepiece is complemented by a date window at 6 o’clock. For that all-important finishing touch, this has been highlighted by a border the same colour as the case (rose gold or steel). On the back, each piece features a sapphire crystal that allows you to see the beating heart of the piece, the self-winding FC-318 movement guaranteeing a power reserve of 38 hours.
Designed for modern women looking for a classic timepiece for everyday wear, the four new Frederique Constant Ladies Automatic Small Seconds watches have revived fine Swiss Made watchmaking for women with creativity and distinction.
Frederique Constant is a Swiss watchmaking manufacture located in Geneva, Switzerland. The Maison was founded in 1988 by a couple of independent entrepreneurs, Aletta and Peter Stas, to offer quality Swiss watches at competitive prices, with the aim of democratising luxury Swiss Made watches.
Frederique Constant creates, develops, assembles and controls a wide variety of mechanical, quartz and connected timepieces at the same time within its 6,200 m2 Manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates (GE). To this day, Frederique Constant has designed 29 Manufacture calibres, including high complications, such as the Tourbillon, Perpetual Calendar and Flyback Chronograph.
In 2015, Frederique Constant launched the Horological Smartwatch, the first Swiss Made connected timepiece featuring a traditional appearance. Powered by a connected module, the Horological Smartwatch represents a new segment in Swiss watchmaking. In 2018, the Classic Hybrid Manufacture succeeded it, combining a mechanical movement with intelligent features and an integrated calibre analysis system. It was followed by the Smartwatch Vitality line in 2020. Equipped with a new generation built-in heart rate sensor, it features a classic dial, combined with a digital display that is revealed on demand.
Frederique Constant is currently present in nearly 3’000 points of sale in 120 countries across the world. In 2016, the Frederique Constant group (Frederique Constant, Alpina Watches, Ateliers deMonaco) joined the Japanese group Citizen, so as to pursue its international development and nurture new synergies.
Frederique Constant Ladies Automatic Double Heart Beat
Following the launch of the first Highlife models unveiled last September, Frederique Constant is adding a new collection especially for women, simply named “Highlife Ladies Automatic”. The latter features three designs – the Highlife Ladies Automatic Sparkling, Highlife Ladies Automatic Heart Beat and Highlife Ladies Automatic – combining over 30 years of watchmaking expertise and the desire to come up with an authentic creation for 21st century women. The timepieces in this collection also feature the Highlife’s hallmark strap, which is built into the case and can be changed at will – the secret to making watches truly timeless and ensuring they always strike the right note.
Over 20 years ago now, back in 1999, Frederique Constant introduced the very first Highlife watches. In 2020, the Maison revived the iconic design, reintroducing the collection with resolutely modern curves rooted in the 21st century. Owing to its popularity, the latter inspired the eponymous collection for women, unveiled this year for watchmaking enthusiasts, the sophisticated and fashion-forward modern women of today and tomorrow.
The Highlife Ladies Automatic collection adds a new dimension to the definition of accessible luxury according to Frederique Constant. Graceful yet assertive, the delicate 34 mm diameter watch combines the subtlety of an exquisitely feminine timepiece with the presence of one that asserts its identity and unique character. The new design translates into both taut and flexible lines, the modernity of a creation that denies nothing of its craftsmanship, balance or style. Of course, the new collection features the integrated and interchangeable strap that has become the hallmark of Highlife stamped timepieces. The design merges case and strap in the same continuity, just like the women fitting two or even three days into one, with fluidity and energy. A closely guarded secret, the first link holds the key to the invisible integrated system that makes it possible to change the strap at will and without the need for tools. For those whose elegance embraces everything they do, Frederique Constant allows wearers to change the strap as often as an outfit, occasion or mood dictates, helping them overcome the challenges of daily life and be fulfilled.
Highlife Ladies Automatic Sparkling
Part of eternity on your wrist
The first piece from this collection – the new Highlife Ladies Automatic Sparkling – is intended for modern women looking for uncompromising elegance and an accessory that can keep up with their everyday life without sacrificing charm, finesse or authenticity. Reproducing the various nuances of the Milky Way on the wrist, this true ode to femininity invites the wearer on a journey. The cosmic blue dial of the Highlife Ladies Automatic Sparkling features various specks, representing stars. The contemporary product of an original design by the Manufacture that met with worldwide success, it has been replicated and upgraded for the first time within the new Highlife Ladies. At the centre of its dial, you can almost catch a glimpse of celestial gleam, with its delicate nuances reflected in the bezel, which is fully set with diamonds. Like stars scattering the vastness of space, eight diamond index hour markers complete this cosmic and dreamlike composition, which comes with a steel strap, as well as a second interchangeable white rubber strap. The combination of steel, diamond and wonderfully pure rubber range in colour from pale grey to the shiniest diamond, via infinite nuances depending on the reflections adorning the piece. In sunlight or moonlight, from midday to midnight, the Highlife Ladies Automatic Sparkling moves around the sun and the moon dial with grace and modernity, beating to the rhythm of those who live for the moment.
Highlife Ladies Automatic
The Essence of Frederique Constant
The Highlife Ladies Automatic is the perfect balance of classic, sporty and modern. Depending on your individual preference, it can also be customised by swapping the original bracelet for the rubber strap supplied with the watch. The first all-steel variation with its black dial and additional khaki strap can be made to take on a modern and adventurous look, for those who want a timepiece suited to everyday life and able to keep up with them in all situations. The second, more glamorous version, is entirely rose gold plated and comes with an additional pink rubber strap. Girly and trendy, complete with diamond-set bezel, the piece fully embraces the spirit of excellence and refinement intrinsic to the Geneva-based watchmaker. Finally, the third version puts the emphasis on grey, as can be seen on its subdued yet luminous dial. The steel/grey dial model also comes with another interchangeable strap, this time in sky blue rubber. Each of these variations features the engraved globe on the surface of the dial that plays with multiple shades of light, another feature of the Highlife models. Hands and applique hour markers are tinged with luminescent material, the last of them, positioned at 12 o’clock, is always doubled – another Highlife signature detail, the only choice for those for whom the right time is first and foremost… theirs!
Highlife Ladies Automatic Heart Beat
The next generation
The latest Highlife Ladies Automatic Heart Beat models capture the legacy of the Manufacture and carry it toward new creative horizons. At 12 o’clock, the pieces proudly display the window on their mechanical heart, made famous by Frederique Constant. Known as the “Heart Beat”, it lets you see the beating heart of the watch, its mechanical movement. It also reveals some essential components of Swiss Made precision. Alongside this emblematic feature of the Maison, you’ll find the famous engraved globe. Symbolising the Earth, unity and balance, it is also the icon of a new generation that shares the same ideal for sustainable and sensible living – an ethic in perfect harmony with that of Frederique Constant, which champions quality, reliable watches that are both transferable and accessible to as many people as possible. Two Highlife Ladies Automatic Heart Beat models have been specially created for modern women who want to embrace grace and elegance at all times. They come in an all-steel option, or in rose gold plated steel, complete with rose gold-plated bezel and crown. For the detail-oriented, each version comes with an additional interchangeable rubber strap – sky blue in the case of the steel version and pink for the two-tone version. The Highlife Ladies Automatic Heart Beat can be made to look classic or stylish, cheeky or elegant to suit the time, mood or season!
Heading for a new horizon
In addition, the Highlife Ladies Automatic collection opens-up new prospects for the Geneva-based Maison, whose primary mission is to create sophisticated watches with high-quality finishes at an affordable price. Contemporary curves in keeping with the times, which nevertheless do not compromise on elegance, one of the fundamentals of Frederique Constant. Indeed, the latest Highlife creations are designed to accentuate and reveal the personality of the women who make them their best friend. Their feminine qualities designed to accentuate the character of their lucky owners, these Highlife creations also aim to rally them around the symbol of intercontinental unity represented by the globe, which is proudly displayed in the centre of the dial. To help illustrate this idea, the Maison organised a photo shoot featuring women from all over the world, from Rio to Moscow, via Los Angeles, London, Paris, Milan and Dubai. Discover a watch for every look and aligned with the respective cultures of these international women, united under the aegis of the Highlife collection.
About Frederique Constant
Frederique Constant is a Swiss watchmaking manufacture located in Geneva, Switzerland. The Maison was founded in 1988 by a couple of independent entrepreneurs, Aletta and Peter Stas, to offer quality Swiss watches at an affordable price, with the aim of democratising luxury Swiss Made watches. Frederique Constant creates, develops, assembles and controls a wide variety of mechanical, quartz and connected timepieces at the same time within its 6,200 m2 Manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates (GE). To this day, Frederique Constant has designed 30 Manufacture calibres, including high complications, such as the Tourbillon, the Perpetual Calendar, the Flyback Chronograph, as well as a new and unprecedented type of escapement in watchmaking – the Monolithic. Made from a single piece of silicone, replacing the 26 components of a standard assortment, it oscillates at a frequency of 40 Hz, which is 10 times that of most mechanical movements. In 2015, Frederique Constant launched the Horological Smartwatch, the first Swiss Made connected timepiece featuring a traditional appearance. In 2018, the Classic Hybrid Manufacture succeeded it, combining a mechanical Manufacture movement with connected features. It was followed by the Smartwatch Vitality line in 2020, equipped with a new generation built-in heart rate sensor. The same year, Frederique Constant reinvigorated the Highlife collection (1999) with a redesigned case and an interchangeable integrated strap. This was followed in 2021 by the Slimline Monolithic Manufacture with its very high-frequency one-piece escapement, then by the Highlife collection for women.
Frederique Constant is currently present in nearly 3,000 points of sale in 120 countries across the world. In 2016, the Frederique Constant group (Frederique Constant, Alpina Watches, Ateliers deMonaco) joined the Japanese group Citizen, so as to pursue its international development and nurture new synergies.
Frederique Constant Highlife Perpetual Calendar Manufacture
Over 25 years since the first Heart Beat timepiece, many collectors still associate Frederique Constant with this distinctive design today, which reveals the inner workings of its movement at midday. Through this aperture, those who truly appreciate mechanical timepieces can watch the rotation of the balance wheel in their watch, its beating heart.
There are now three different versions of the Highlife Heart Beat to choose from.
Elegant and refined, sporty chic or modern and bold, each variation offers up an interpretation of the Heart Beat design, which more than a quarter of a century since it was created, has proven to transcend fashions and trends.
Located at the pole of the globe decoration on the dial,
the famous aperture is finished with three luminescent hands.
The design is understated, minimalist and
as modern and unique as ever.
You can look straight into the inner workings of the
automatic FC-310 caliber with power reserve of
38 hours and admire it from both front and back
through the sapphire crystal.
All of the Highlife’s designs features the user-friendly system which makes it possible to switch between a steel bracelet, a leather, crococalf suede or rubber strap, alternating from classic to sporty on a whim!
Frederique Constant Highlife Perpetual Calendar Manufacture Complete with a perpetual calendar, this piece is powered by the Manufacture FC-775 caliber, a self-winding mechanical movement. Beating at a frequency of 28,800 vph, it has a power reserve of 38 hours. Its perlage and Côtes de Genève can be seen through the sapphire crystal caseback.
Not one but three new models have been announced, including the Frederique Constant Highlife Perpetual Calendar Manufacture, the Frederique Constant Highlife Heart Beat, and the Frederique Constant Highlife Automatic COSC. We’ll be taking a closer in-depth look at the Highlife Heart Beat and Highlife Automatic COSC models here today.
While the Frederique Constant Highlife watches you see here feel like a whole new collection, they’re actually part of a revamp of the company’s Highlife line, which originally came out in 1999, long before yours truly was into watches. I recall distinctly that once I did start paying attention to mechanical timepieces, in about 2004 or so, one of the first marques I came across that seemed to be speaking to the early 20s me was Frederique Constant. I still feel like I’m always looking for value when I look at watches, but back then, as a recent college graduate, my drive to find deals was a bit more urgent, and it’s in this context that I first learned of Frederique Constant.
I came to see FC as a go-to brand for younger watch enthusiasts such as myself who were interested in classic designs paired with value for money. That brings me to what we have to introduce today. At launch, there are three branches of the revamped Highlife collection: Heartbeat models, known for their partially open dials (starting at $1,995); COSC-rated chronometer examples (starting at $1,895); and in-house perpetual calendars (starting at $9,095). While I think each of these branches is well-priced, it’s the perpetual calendar – which doesn’t use a new movement, mind you, though it is the best-executed Frederique Constant perpetual to date – that most excited me when I first learned about it.
The new Highlife Perpetual Calendar Manufacture draws on the familiar FC-775, which we first saw in 2016 with the Slimline Perpetual. The movement is an automatic perpetual calendar caliber designed and manufactured at the Frederique Constant Geneva manufacture. When Stephen went hands-on with the Slimline Perpetual Calendar back in 2016, he declared it the best budget perpetual calendar available at the time, and I’m inclined to agree with his assessment. Debuting at a price of $8,795, it helped to reshape expectations regarding how a perpetual calendar could be priced, and it received a ton of attention, not just here on HODINKEE, but all around the watch-loving web. As a thoroughly classic dress watch design, the Slimline Perpetual was in line with a design ethos I had come to identify with Frederique Constant. And even if I didn’t think the watch was perfect – its 42mm diameter felt a bit big to me, especially considering the relative compactness of the displays, leading to a large amount of negative space – its value prop was very, very tough to argue with.
With the Highlife Perpetual Calendar Manufacture, Frederique Constant’s perpetual calendar lineup is branching out with a design that appears squarely aimed at sating watch collectors’ appetites for Genta-esque sport-luxury watches on integrated bracelets while delivering that good ole FC value prop.
The new Highlife Perpetual Calendar Manufacture is available in three examples at its debut, and each comes in a 41mm tonneau-shaped case that calls to mind a class of steel sport watches that originated in the 1970s and continues to hold the attention of watch collectors to this day. One version comes in a two-tone steel-and-rose-gold-plated case with a matching bracelet, another comes in all steel with a lovely blue dial, and the third version pairs a steel case with an alligator strap. In each case, the dial features a globe pattern, and the sub-dials are decorated with a bit of snailing. All versions come with an extra rubber strap that figures to add a pretty sporty dimension to the line, and changing the straps and bracelets can easily be done without tools.
Frederique Constant’s selling point seems to be built around value and delivering ownership experiences that might not otherwise be available. I think it used to be much more common for watch collectors to start small, with an entry-level time-only or time-and-date model from a venerable old brand. If the watch bug bit and one’s earnings allowed, one might progress up the ladder of prestige, and complications were reserved as the bonus prize for collectors who could afford them. But if there is one thing that I’ve noticed in my time covering watches, it’s been the democratization of mechanical watchmaking, including high complications. Even as many top-tier brands have seen prices grow over the last few decades at a pace faster than inflation, a number of upstart brands oriented toward value have also sprung up, creating comfortable new footholds for collectors.
In providing an option that scratches both the steel-sport-watch-with-integrated-bracelet and the perpetual-calendar itches, Frederique Constant is bound to draw comparisons to mega watches that cost many times more and that will, almost certainly, continue to be much more difficult to obtain at retail than the redesigned Highlife. I don’t think I need to name these brands or these models; they’re famous and few enough, and there’s a good chance you’ve likely already thought of them by this point anyway. Besides, I don’t think the new Highlife is direct competition for them. The stainless steel sport watch with perpetual calendar and integrated bracelet has found a new lane to drive in, and a whole bunch more watch lovers are going to be able to get behind the wheel. I think that’s cool.
Comparing these watches with the earlier FC Slimline Perpetual, I have to say that I like the new Highlife version quite a bit more. The proportions of the dials feel more harmonious to me, and I think that has to do both with the reduction in case size to 41mm and with the use of the large applied markers with lume. In some of the supplied pictures, I’ve noticed that the globe pattern appears subtler than in others, and I have to say, I appreciate the design more in the ones where it’s not so easy to pick up that pattern. That has me wondering if it might not have been an extra embellishment that would have been better left out. The new Highlife is one of a growing number of watches that I’d like to get a close in-person look at.
Frederique Constant Highlife Automatic COSC
The Frederique Constant Highlife Automatic COSC is an independent Swiss organisation that only issues its chronometer certificates to these pieces after the watches have undergone numerous tests over several days. COSC certified pieces form an elite, a class of their own, intended for collectors for whom «Swiss precision» is an everyday necessity. The Highlife Automatic COSC was developed especially for them.
This timepiece has been designed for everyday use and
comes in two-tone, steel/blue dial and black leather/white dial versions. A fourth original creation complements this trio: a variation with a rose gold-plated case and a black dial mounted on a brown leather strap, complete with a
rubber strap in the same shade.
With its completely redesigned case, the Highlife collection
is modern and dynamic. Protected by a sapphire crystal with
anti-reflective treatment on both sides,
the globe decoration on each model reflects the desire
of new collectors for responsible and sustainable
watchmaking. Interchangeable straps
make it exceptionally versatile, allowing each new
Highlife to be urban, stylish or sporty.
Valuable assets that open the doors of the 21st century.
All of the Highlife’s designs features the user-friendly system which makes it possible to switch between a steel bracelet, a leather, crococalf suede or rubber strap, alternating from classic to sporty on a whim!
Frederique Constant launched the first models of its Highlife collection over 20 years ago.Their unique design was characterised by the special strap built into the case. In 2020, the Brand has updated the ingenious concept and reinvigorated the historical collection by adding three new models: the Highlife Perpetual Calendar Manufacture, Highlife Heart Beat and Highlife Automatic COSC.
