Last month, we were given word that the entirety of the Frederique Constant Classics lineup was getting a bit of a freshening up. Across the line, these are clean and competent pieces. However, for me, there was just one that jumped out and made me take notice – the Frederique Constant Classics Quartz GMT.
Now, long-time readers will know that I’m a big fan of a GMT watch. Which, in some regards, is a bit absurd. While I travelled occasionally, it’s not like I was some business jet setter. And of course, over the last year, I’ve not gone more than a single time zone away, and that was by car. So, whither the GMT? For one, I still just like it, as it’s a handy indicator of whether the watch is in the first 12 or second 12 hours (handing when setting a mechanical). Secondly, at work, our servers keep themselves on UTC time. So, a watch like this can help me to translate the server logs when I need to look at them.
Whatever the reason, it’s a handy complication to have, and one that shouldn’t add a tremendous amount to your servicing costs (I mean, it’s another gear, not a whole seperate module, basically). And, like a date window, you may not always need it, but you’ll appreciate it when it’s there. From my experience with prior FC watches, the case, dial, and handset all say to me, very much, that this is a Frederique Constant watch. It’s well-sorted, legible, and gives a subtle elegance to things.
Now, these are indeed powered by a quartz movement, but that’s no need to resort to hand-wringing. In fact, it helps keep the costs down, which is something we’ve seen rising over the past few years with their mechanical movements. The 40mm case should fit a variety of wrists, and the overall styling lends itself well to the office as well as dressier occasions, particularly on the steel bracelet. The leather straps, on the other hand, helps to get things a little more casual.
Interestingly enough, the Frederique Constant Classics Quartz GMT does NOT appear on the US site for whatever reason. It is there on the global site, so that’s what we’ve linked at the end of the article. That site lists things at 790 CHF, which is about $850. A little spendy for a quartz, but it’s what we have for entry level from FC (if you want sportier, go for stablemate Alpina) these days. For me, I rather like the look (blue dial all the way), and certainly wounldn’t – as John puts it – kick it out of bed for eating crackers.
Category: Frederique Constant
Frederique Constant Classics Carrée
Art Deco is one of the most defining styles and cultural movements of the past 100 or so years. It is said to have begun sometime in the 1920s and it spread across all aspects of life, affecting the architecture and the design of everyday items like furniture, appliances, cars, and of course, even watches. The newest Frederique Constant Classics Carrée Automatic watches are an example of design heavily inspired by the Art Deco look of the 1920s.
The Classics Carrée Automatic watches are square-shaped, petite, and were probably designed with ladies in mind. According to Frederique Constant, watches with squared or rectangular dimensions were all the rage in the ’20s, and they wanted to bring back the elegance associated with these watches with these new Frederique Constant Classics Carrée Automatic watches.
There are two versions on offer; one in a rose-gold-plated stainless steel case and another in a polished steel case. The Frederique Constant Classics Carrée Automatic watchesmeasures a slim 30.4mm across, while the lug-to-lug measurement is just 33.3mm. To increase wearing comfort, the case has a convex shape to allow it to sit closer to the wrist. The case is water resistant to 30m, so best to keep them away from water. The rose-gold-plated one comes with a dark brown leather strap, while the polished stainless steel version comes with a simple black leather strap.
Both versions of theFrederique Constant Classics Carrée Automatic watches have the same dial design. The dial is silver and the center portion has a guilloché decoration. Surrounding this guilloché center portion is a simple railroad-style minutes track. And on the periphery of the dial, we have large hour markers rendered in Roman numerals. Time is read using the hand-polished black Breguet style hands. Finally, the highlight of the dial has got to be what Frederique Constant likes to call the “heartbeat opening” at 12 o’clock, which gives wearers a glimpse of the swinging balance spring.
Speaking of which, the Classics Carrée Automatic is powered by the Frederique Constant caliber FC-310, a self-winding movement that is likely based on the ETA-2824 or its Sellita equivalent. It beats at 4Hz and has a power reserve of 38 hours. It is also visible through a sapphire display caseback and has a Colimaçon decoration on the bridges.
Longtime readers of aBlogtoWatch will know my feelings toward open dials that show off the balance spring. I find them superfluous and I can’t help but think that the Classics Carrée Automatic will be better served by having a simpler and more conservative dial sans the “heartbeat opening.” Imagine just how much more understated and elegant it would look! Still, I suppose buyers new to mechanical watches will be appreciative of this design quirk, which reminds them every time they look at their wrist that they have a watch that isn’t powered by electricity. The Frederique Constant Classics Carrée Automatic
Frederique Constant Classics Art Déco Rond
At the beginning of the year, Frederique Constant enriched its 13 years old Art Déco Collection with new pieces. The Frederique Constant Classics Art Déco Round is available in five versions. Today, we review the blue dial, full metal bracelet Reference FC-200MPN2AR6B.
Frederique Constant has an entire range of ladies collection covering a large selection of tastes and wishes. From al their ladies’ pieces, the Classics Art Déco distinguished itself with an undeniable elegance. I have published earlier this year the press release of the Classics Art Déco Round. Since then, I was eager to see with my eyes the FC-200MPN2AR6B, my favourite of the new collection. I will always have a weakness for a blue dial with bracelet.
Frederique Constant Germany sent me this delight last week for a review. And I was not disappointed. As always, Diana was supportive and modelled with her hand. Because the best way to get to know a watch is in the wild, we had a short travelling to Constance Lake that borders Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Frederique Constant Classics Art Déco Reference FC-200MPN2AR6B comes in a 30mm stainless steel case. The case was decorated with coin edge fluting on the band and a highly polished round bezel. The watch is accompanied by an onion-shaped crown with blue cabochon. In the right angles, the crown will nicely assort the blue dial. The magic of the Reference FC-200MPN2AR6B stays in its beautiful bracelet. Instead of a double set of lugs, the brand opted, like in the case of Art Déco Oval, to single point fixation. The bracelet presents five rows of mirror-polished beads. As you can notice, each element will use the light in a game of catch-and-play. The bracelet is matched with a butterfly clasp. The result is a comfortable wear and adazzling appearance.
The Classics Art Déco Round comes with a guilloché flowered sunray pattern centre with a mother-of-pearl outer dial. The dial offers nice reflections in the sunlight and not only.
In the hands-on video above, you can observe how the artificial light is reflected. The wrist-roll video below will reveal the dial reflections in full sunlight.
The dial centre bears the name of the brand on the upper side. The edge of the guilloché pattern has transfer printed minute indexes. On the mother-of-pearl side, the dial bears printed large Roman numerals. Note the 4 o’clock noted with the IIII instead of IV. A horological traditional choice of marking. In the case of Reference FC-200MPN2AR6B, the hands are varnished in white. The watch offers surprisingly good legibility even in darker “moments”.
Frederique Constant Classics Art Déco Round is powered by FC-200 calibre. The movement uses 4 jewels and can display hours and minutes with an autonomy of 72 months. This impressive battery life is useful regardless of the situation. If you have a large collection and the wrist time of the piece is divided between several pieces, being always ready to wear is a big plus. If not a must. As a single piece, being able to rely on it for such a long time is an advantage. Especially if the lady wearer is not so much into changing batteries and so on…
Frederique Constant Classics Art Déco Reference FC-200MPN2AR6B is a lovely ladies piece. Discrete but with enough spark and charm to make a good impression. The six years of battery life is a big plus for those ladies wanting to have a delicate piece always on time and ready to wear. The bracelet has its own charisma – five rows of polished beads that bring a nice appeal to the elegant piece. The butterfly clasp brings joy for a person changing often outfits and accessories.
It’s an elegant watch without being too pretentious. The Classics Art Déco is easy to wear, a go-to when you don’t know how to accessorize an outfit. The timepiece would be much more interesting as a hand-wound mechanical piece.
Frederique Constant presents five new round models in its Frederique Constant Classics Art Déco collection. A return to the basics, both contemporary and classic, for a collection created 13 years ago and whose success is attested on the wrist of the modern woman.
This new, 100% feminine model builds on over 10 years of watchmaking and stylistic achievements. Frederique Constant Classics Art Déco created the “Classics Art Déco” range in 2007. Going against the fashion grain, it already showed the family house’s spirit of total independence: although the trend was towards “oversize” and mixed watches, Frederique Constant sought a timeless classicism, with a delicate and elegant collection. It was followed in 2013 by a daring oval variation, an assertive and distinguished silhouette still in the collection.
Today, the round form is offered for the first time in the “Frederique Constant Classics Art Déco” collection. Long awaited by collectors and fans of fine watchmaking, it is the result of a thinking process of over ten years about the design, femininity and subtleness. Very often seen as the starting point of watch collections, the perfect circle is, for Frederique Constant, a carefully considered style culmination.
The new Classics Art Déco Round line has appropriated the classic look of its elders while asserting itself as a timepiece of the age. Resolutely modern, the watch is above all feminine, with a very delicate casing, of harmonious proportions and considerable finesse, showing off to perfection the elegance of the wrists that it will adorn. For this purpose, the casing has also been slightly curved to perfectly fit the contour of the wrist.
Careful consideration has been given to the finishes of this new range with minute attention to detail. The casing, for example, of a delicate diameter of only 30 mm, has been grooved on its middle, in accordance with the strict standards of luxury watchmaking.
On the dial, the hours and minutes are shown by needles, hand refined and polished in the so-called “cored apple” style imposed by Breguet over 200 years ago. They glide over a dial guilloché from its centre outwards which diffuses the light towards the hours expressed in Roman numerals. Three of the five available models combine this guilloché sun with a mother-of-pearl outer dial whose soft reflections will animate a watch case in a steel or rose gold finish.
Each dial comes with its own strap available in either steel, steel / plated rose gold or blue satin, with a soft and silky feel. These two models complete their hint of glamour with a discreet mounting of 9 diamonds set into each horn, in addition to the cabochon in the crown of each model. Designed for the everyday dress of modern, distinguished women, these models available from only 850 Euros have a Frederique Constant quartz movement, offering 6 years of operation.
Frederique Constant Classics Art Déco Oval
At the beginning of the year, Frederique Constant enriched its 13 years old Art Déco Collection with new pieces. The Frederique Constant Classics Art Déco Oval Round is available in five versions. Today, we review the blue dial, full metal bracelet Reference FC-200MPN2AR6B.
Frederique Constant has an entire range of ladies collection covering a large selection of tastes and wishes. From al their ladies’ pieces, the Classics Art Déco distinguished itself with an undeniable elegance. I have published earlier this year the press release of the Classics Art Déco Round. Since then, I was eager to see with my eyes the FC-200MPN2AR6B, my favourite of the new collection. I will always have a weakness for a blue dial with bracelet.
Frederique Constant Germany sent me this delight last week for a review. And I was not disappointed. As always, Diana was supportive and modelled with her hand. Because the best way to get to know a watch is in the wild, we had a short travelling to Constance Lake that borders Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Frederique Constant Classics Art Déco Oval Reference FC-200MPN2AR6B comes in a 30mm stainless steel case. The case was decorated with coin edge fluting on the band and a highly polished round bezel.
The watch is accompanied by an onion-shaped crown with blue cabochon. In the right angles, the crown will nicely assort the blue dial.
The magic of the Reference FC-200MPN2AR6B stays in its beautiful bracelet. Instead of a double set of lugs, the brand opted, like in the case of Art Déco Oval, to single point fixation.
The bracelet presents five rows of mirror-polished beads. As you can notice, each element will use the light in a game of catch-and-play. The bracelet is matched with a butterfly clasp. The result is a comfortable wear and adazzling appearance.
The Classics Art Déco Round comes with a guilloché flowered sunray pattern centre with a mother-of-pearl outer dial. The dial offers nice reflections in the sunlight and not only.
In the hands-on video above, you can observe how the artificial light is reflected. The wrist-roll video below will reveal the dial reflections in full sunlight.
The dial centre bears the name of the brand on the upper side. The edge of the guilloché pattern has transfer printed minute indexes. On the mother-of-pearl side, the dial bears printed large Roman numerals. Note the 4 o’clock noted with the IIII instead of IV. A horological traditional choice of marking.
In the case of Reference FC-200MPN2AR6B, the hands are varnished in white. The watch offers surprisingly good legibility even in darker “moments”.
Frederique Constant Classics Art Déco Oval Round is powered by FC-200 calibre. The movement uses 4 jewels and can display hours and minutes with an autonomy of 72 months.
This impressive battery life is useful regardless of the situation. If you have a large collection and the wrist time of the piece is divided between several pieces, being always ready to wear is a big plus. If not a must.
As a single piece, being able to rely on it for such a long time is an advantage. Especially if the lady wearer is not so much into changing batteries and so on…
Frederique Constant Classics Art Déco Round Reference FC-200MPN2AR6B is a lovely ladies piece. Discrete but with enough spark and charm to make a good impression. The six years of battery life is a big plus for those ladies wanting to have a delicate piece always on time and ready to wear. The bracelet has its own charisma – five rows of polished beads that bring a nice appeal to the elegant piece. The butterfly clasp brings joy for a person changing often outfits and accessories.
It’s an elegant watch without being too pretentious. The Classics Art Déco is easy to wear, a go-to when you don’t know how to accessorize an outfit. The timepiece would be much more interesting as a hand-wound mechanical piece.
Frederique Constant Slimline Ladies Moonphase
The beauty of the moon, shiny yellow gold, sparkling mother of pearl and shimmering diamonds. The stunning watchmakers and engineers at the Swiss brand, Frederique Constant, have brought together all these things into a single new collection that is sure to make any lady’s pulse race. The Frederique Constant Slimline Ladies Moonphase Collection has no less than six brand new styles, each more amazing than the last.
All items in the family are fuelled by the FC-206 quartz caliber five-jewel movement. The 30 mm steel case will attract the eye with its ultra-feminine appearance. The dial is an amazing mother of pearl, buffered by diamond-hard sapphire crystal, and speaking of diamonds, the hour indexes has no less than eight hand applied diamonds (0.02 ct). The soft hands are hand polished to a rich shine, and the moon phase display is located at the 6 o’clock position.
The brilliant workers at Frederique Constant Slimline Ladies Moonphase have also made the watch so that all features (hours, minutes and moonphase) are changeable with a single crown, and in spite of their petite appearance, every piece in the range is water resistant to three atmospheres. Two of the models are shown with yellow gold plated steel cases. The FC-206MPWD1S5 comes with a shiny beige leather strap, while the FC-206MPWD1S5B features a yellow gold plated bracelet with seven rows of slim gold links.
The next four models have highly shined stainless steel cases, and yet again, each item is completely special. The FC-206MPWD1S6 comes with a shiny, dark blue leather strap, while the FC-206MPWD1S6B is shown with a sheeny stainless steel seven-row bracelet.
Finally, the FC-206MPWD1SD6 and FC-206MPWD1SD6B both show something extra cool. As well as the diamond indexes, these two items also have over half-carat of sparkling diamonds (0.56 ct) set in the watch dial’s edges. The first is done with a classic, shiny, black leather strap; the other with the amazing stainless steel bracelet. In 2016, the Swiss watch manufacturer Frederique Constant is doing even more to enrich and consolidate its Slimline range, which has turned, over the years, into a brand icon with the Slimline Auto Heart Beat.
The amazingly elegant, three brand models have pure lines and the beauty of the design, one of the finest models of Frederique Constant. Indeed with their 40mm case, coming inside a polished stainless steel or a lovely rose gold plated, these new timepieces are visibly masculine and will look stylish on any man’s wrist.
A stunning mix between classical timepiece and creativity comes as we see a bit of the jewelled mechanism in the dial at 12’ o’clock. The stunning, classic and amazing design of Frederique Constant watches are nonetheless enhanced by numerous details that are often also innovative. It was Frederique Constant in 1994 that developed the very first Heart Beat watch by showing the mechanical movement and therefore created a trend throughout the Horological industry.
The end product of a practice in style, and with the idea of simplicity, the Slimline Auto Heart Beat shows off a style towards the best. These new timepieces show some codes that improve its unique style and its top simplicity with its thin shiny baton-type hours markers, along with a big pure dial, either dark grey or silver. The new design of the new Slimline Auto Heartbeat shows them as light, both to see and touch.
The 2015 Frederique Constant Slimline Moonphase Manufacture Ladies (ref. FC-703VD3SD4) is one of the finest timekeepers introduced by the brand so far. It is also one of their (still precious few) models that are powered not by a slightly redecorated version of a run-off-the-mill blank movement made either by ETA or Sellita, but by a new caliber that was developed and built by Frederique Constant on their own production facilities. That says something, right?
With this new model, the Swiss brand further develops the idea that first materialized in their 2011 Maxime Manufacture Automatic Lady Chocolate model: a watch that uses its slightly oversized case to make a cleaner, more legible timekeeper that at the same time looks elegant and timeless. It is extremely satisfying to see that in such a short time of fewer than three years the company made huge progress in the design department. Revealed just a week ago during Baselworld 2015 industry event, the new device offers a layout that is not only much more pleasant to look at but is actually a lot readable than the previous model: something that you rarely encounter when it comes to timekeepers designed for women.
With this model, Frederique Constant chooses the same path as, say, Girard Perregaux: they get rid of stamped faux “guilloche” pattern in favor of a plain-looking silver dial that doesn’t divert our attention from the model’s main points of attraction: a moon phase display, which is, as usual, combined with a circular calendar, and eight finely cut diamonds that serve as hour markers (they are accompanied by rose gold-plated, hand-applied stick shaped indices that well match the leaf-shaped hour and minute hands). Featuring classic convex shape, the dial looks like it was sand-blasted by the finest particles acquiring that gorgeous silky-matte texture that is not just pleasant for an eye but also serves as a good background for the hour and minute hands.
The whole impression of a delicate timepiece is enhanced by a thin bezel. Set with 60 diamonds, the bezel is not just a part that holds the sapphire crystal in its place but is also a beautiful frame for the dial. I may sound suspiciously mellow here, but this beautiful device impressed me. Frankly, I didn’t expect such a refined piece of luxury from this relatively young brand.
As for the case, at almost 39 millimeters in diameter, it may look unnaturally large on a lady’s wrist unless you are a taller person. You need to have relatively long hands for the timepiece to look good there. But that’s subjective, alright. Its slim profile makes the device quite wearable: the FC-703VD3SD4 doesn’t feel massive on a hand, although, for reasons that you probably understand, author of this short review didn’t have a chance to prove it in person.
Another thing that may turn a number of customers off is the fact that the case is not crafted from solid gold. According to the Swiss brand, it is made of rose gold-plated stainless steel. Also, the choice of materials makes the timekeeper about ten times cheaper than a similar model made from real gold, it also makes the watch more vulnerable to dings and scratches: something that can be successfully buffed out by a skilled hand will probably ruin the watch with thin gold plating. Luckily, modern gold plating techniques employed by serious brands make the finish a lot more sustainable than those of the past.
Like many other watchmakers that previously used ETA blank calibers in their timepieces, Frederique Constant Slimline Ladies Moonphase invests lots of funds into designing their own movements. This new watch, for example, is powered by their new Caliber FC-703 self-winding mechanism. Said to be specifically developed to power their women’s watches, the mechanism is compact and slim. Also, judging by the pictures disseminated by the brand, it looks like this a natural-born moon phase movement: it doesn’t look like the indicator is attached to the base plate with an add-on module, although it is hard to be sure. As their recent batch of calibers, the mechanism is finely decorated and features their signature open-worked oscillating weight that, too, seems to be gold-plated. If not an extensive use of perlage on the base plate, I would even call it one of the finest mechanisms in this price range.
Although I don’t usually approve watches powered by “manufacture” calibers made by smaller brands (they are sometimes difficult to service and repair if you don’t happen to live in a big city), this one is worth the risk of getting one.
Frederique Constant Slimline
Frederique Constant Slimline is a relatively new watchmaker, but over the last three decades, the brand has consistently grown stronger, always coming up with attractive luxury watch models.
This article will take a closer look at the company, and center on its watch collections. Whether this is your first time reading about the brand, or if you’re thinking of purchasing your first Frederique Constant watch, this piece will let you in on some of the most important things that you need to know.
Frederique Constant Slimlinewas founded in 1988 by couple Aletta Francoise Frédérique Stas-Bax and Peter Constant Stas. The company is named as such because the founders took the names of their great grandparents and combined them (Frédérique Schreiner and Constant Stas).
The company may not be as old compared to its other Swiss watch company counterparts—most of which have been operating for more than a century—but the company proved that they are also experts in watchmaking since their inception. According to reports, the company’s production by 2011 reached 120,000, with watches being sold in more than a hundred countries.
In 2016, Japanese watchmaker and electronics brand Citizen acquired the company. The Citizen Holding Group also owns Bulova, Arnold & Son, Alpina and CAMPANOLA
Not all high-complications come with equally high price tags. With the Slimline Manufacture Perpetual Calendar, Frederique Constant is offering a stainless steel perpetual calendar for under $9,000. In some ways it’s a classic QP and in other ways it breaks with tradition, but if you’re someone who’s always wanted to sport a perpetual calendar but balked at the BMW-level cost, you should definitely take a closer look at this watch.
Frederique Constant Slimline is a watchmaker with something of a cult following. It’s made affordable complicated watches in the past (this worldtimer is a perfect example), but really shines making contemporary dress watches that have familiar looks without too many frills. They’re the kind of watches that sometimes might not catch your eye immediately but once you notice them you can’t help but keep looking. And, in case you missed the news, Frederique Constant was recently acquired by Citizen, making it a Japanese-owned Swiss manufacture.
The dial looks exactly like what you’d expect from a basic perpetual. Starting at the top of the dial and going clockwise, there’s a nested register for the month and year in the leap year cycle, the date, a blue and silver moonphase, and the day of the week. The printing is crisp and inky black on the silver grained ground and the applied hour markers add just enough shine to keep the dial from looking flat.
Powering all of this is Frederique Constant’s own caliber FC-755. It’s an automatic movement with a 38-hour power reserve and what I’d call average decoration on the plates, bridges, and rotor. It’s not an over-the-top haute horlogerie movement, but it is functional and packs a lot into a relatively affordable package.
The perpetual calendar functions are adjusted with little pushers set into the caseband (you should probably use a plastic pin included with the watch, though a springbar tool will do in a pinch). This is all pretty standard and won’t come as a surprise to anyone familiar with QPs.
Despite the name, the Slimline is actually a much larger watch than most classic perpetual calendars. At 42mm across and 10.2mm thick (including the domed sapphire crystal), it’s a substantive ticker. The case does taper toward the wrist, but it still doesn’t have the same elegant profile that you’re used to with watches this style. I will say that it wears a lot nicer than I expected and doesn’t have the top-heavy feeling I expected – sure, I wish this watch was 38mm or 40mm, but c’est la vie. Also, I give Frederique Constant credit for using an appropriately sized movement, so the registers aren’t squished to the center of an otherwise expansive dial.
There’s no question that price is extremely important when it comes to evaluating this watch. Is it on par with perpetuals from the likes of Patek Philippe or Vacheron Constantin? No way. But it’s less than $9,000. Even the previous king of “budget” stainless steel perpetual calendars – the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin Perpetual – is more than double that. The JLC is thin, has a seriously high-tech movement, and is, in my not-so-humble opinion, the best everyday perpetual calendar out there today (especially with the new black dial). Montblanc made a steel perpetual for under $13,000, but now you’re limited to a $6,800 annual calendar instead. So if you’re looking for a perpetual calendar under $10,000, this is almost certainly your best bet (and it’s a pretty good one at that).
Frederique Constant Slimline Gents Small Seconds
Frederique Constant Slimline Gents Small Seconds is a relatively new watchmaker, but over the last three decades, the brand has consistently grown stronger, always coming up with attractive luxury watch models.
This article will take a closer look at the company, and center on its watch collections. Whether this is your first time reading about the brand, or if you’re thinking of purchasing your first Frederique Constant watch, this piece will let you in on some of the most important things that you need to know.
Frederique Constant was founded in 1988 by couple Aletta Francoise Frédérique Stas-Bax and Peter Constant Stas. The company is named as such because the founders took the names of their great grandparents and combined them (Frédérique Schreiner and Constant Stas).
The company may not be as old compared to its other Swiss watch company counterparts—most of which have been operating for more than a century—but the company proved that they are also experts in watchmaking since their inception. According to reports, the company’s production by 2011 reached 120,000, with watches being sold in more than a hundred countries.
In 2016, Japanese watchmaker and electronics brand Citizen acquired the company. The Citizen Holding Group also owns Bulova, Arnold & Son, Alpina and CAMPANOLA
The company has its main headquarters at Plan-les-Ouates, a 3,200 square meter property where the watches are assembled—from movement and assembly to quality control. There is also a facility in Geneva.
According to the brand’s website, the process of making a Frederique Constant watch starts with a discussion between employees of different departments such as sales, marketing, and workshops. When the employees are finished with the initial brainstorming and discussions, the designers will draw the ideas and plan the specifications of the watch. Then, the team will be ready to start working on a prototype.
During the development process of a watch, the company makes use of technology to develop a vision—specifically, a computer design software: “The Designer will then build the model, component by component, layer by layer, which in turn will go on to define the manufacturing process for this watch itself.”
Yes, Frederique Constant is a respected watch brand appreciated by experts and watch lovers alike. A simple search online will lead you to a number of watch websites and forums of watch aficionados confirming that the company is highly regarded, and the watches they produce are of very high quality (which explains the hefty price tags). You can check out discussions such as this one to see what others think of the company.
If you’re looking for other brands to compare that are in a relatively similar category, as far as build quality, style and reputation we suggest you start with brands such as Tissot or Longines, Raymond Weil or Oris.
This question will be further answered below when we start talking about the brand’s different watch collections in detail.
Frederique Constant Slimline Gents Small Seconds has a wide range of watches to choose from, available in both men’s and women’s sizes. Below, we’ll talk about some of the brand’s best collections and take a closer look at some of its best models.
Frederique Constant Slimline Heart Beat Automatic
As a father of two, I have attended many school plays. There are always lighthearted moments when things don’t go to plan. However, the one area which tickles my funny bone the most is the unauthorised opening of stage curtains. Despite the teacher’s best efforts, an inquisitive child will always pull the curtains to one side, eager to see the seated audience. Quite simply, the miniature thespians can’t suppress their impulse to look.
This endearing innocence may disappear with the arrival of adolescence, but curiosity never wanes with the onset of years. I am reminded of this fact when I view the Frederique Constant Slimline Auto Heart Beat. It features an aperture below noon, bestowing a partial glimpse of the balance wheel in flight. This is a Frederique Constant Slimline Auto Heart Beat watch that indulges the whims of inquisitive souls.
While tourbillons frequently confer sight of an oscillating balance, mounted within a rotating cage, they are prohibitively expensive. Frederique Constant, a brand synonymous with value, clearly understands that some would-be wearers crave dial-side theatre, but lack the pecuniary means to purchase a tourbillon. The ‘Heart Beat’ proves an affordable option for the mechanically curious.
The Frederique Constant Slimline Auto Heart Beat has been in the brand’s catalogue for three years, however, the Swiss marque recently unveiled a new blue dial option. Having never reviewed this watch beforehand, I elected to wear this latest version for seven days and evaluate the ownership experience.
The dial
The dial exhibits a restrained character, courtesy of its dark blue hue. Indeed, in some light conditions, the dial epidermis appears almost black. Silver-toned hour and minute hands articulate the time with notable style. Each hour is denoted with a silver-coloured, applied baton. Both the hands and indices are slim, imbuing the model with a becoming elegance.
The dial plane arcs downwards adjacent the minute track. Its curving edge enriches the aesthetic appearance.
The aforementioned dial aperture, positioned below noon, bestows interest. It is framed with a silver-toned circlet. The balance, pallet lever and shock protection device are freely disclosed via the opening. Initially, I wanted the aperture to be larger, eager to see more, however, after a few days wearing the watch my opinion altered. If the opening was enlarged, it would spoil the superb proportions of the dial. In my opinion, Frederique Constant has judged the scale of the aperture to perfection.
The case
The Frederique Constant Slimline Auto Heart Beat is presented in a 40mm, highly-polished stainless steel case. None of the Genevan brand’s literature states the height of the watch, however, as its name implies, it is slim. This watch does not simply sit upon the wrist, it nuzzles the skin, sitting on the arm with minimal protrusion.
While this timepiece is accessibly priced, the case features some impressive detailing. The dial sits beneath a slightly curved sapphire crystal. The caseband eschews the straight sides of most watches, instead incorporating arcing sides which taper inwards as they approach the caseback. This stylish detail not only enriches the visual appearance of the watch but heightens wearer comfort.
The onion-shaped crown is embellished with neat fluting, aiding manipulation. However, unlike some watches which incorporate this style of crown, the Slimline Auto Heart Beat is fitted with a diminutive interpretation of the component.
The lugs are slender and gently taper downwards. The marriage between the case and the wrist is a happy one, destined to deliver years of happy wedded bliss.
The movement
The self-winding FC-312 movement is visible via the exhibition caseback. As stated earlier, the dial-side aperture grants views of the balance wheel, pallet lever and shock protection device. The movement is fitted with 25 jewels and the balance has a frequency of 28,800 VpH (4Hz). The power reserve is capable of delivering 42 hours of autonomy.
Merit is invariably a function of price. If the Frederique Constant Slimline Auto Heart Beat cost £20,000, I would point out the absence of hand-bevelled bridges, polished screw sinks, chamfered screw heads, mirror-polishing etc. However, this watch has a recommended retail price of £1820 (as at 5.2.2019). While this finish is a tad industrial, it fully meets my expectations for a watch in this price segment.
Closing remarks
I have enjoyed my time with the Frederique Constant Slimline Auto Heart Beat. The dial proves simple to read and, most notably, elegant. No elements are unduly fussy. Everything has been distilled to a pure conclusion.
While this is a keenly priced watch, it does not shortchange the wearer when it comes to style. The blue dial is exquisite and I adore the way it curves as it approaches the minute track. The sapphire crystal also adopts a gently arcing profile. ‘Gentle’ is another word which comes to the fore when describing this watch. The flank of the case tapers inwards, heightening wearer comfort and the model’s aesthetic allure.
Wearer comfort is a subjective matter. I find some watches very comfortable to wear, while others prove problematic. Over the years, I have found some oversized watches, or those fitted with a gigantic crown, can be surprisingly uncomfortable to wear. I am pleased to report that during my time with the Frederique Constant Slimline Auto Heart Beat, the watch afforded an agreeable fit.
However, I have to return to the raison d’être for selecting this particular model, namely, the dial-side aperture and the view it provides of the ‘Heart Beat’. Just in the way it is wonderful to view an orchestra play live, observing a selection of mechanical components collaborate, delivering a masterful horological performance, is something I will never tire of seeing. Everyone enjoys being inquisitive, however, only a few watches indulge this desire with such notable aplomb.
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.
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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.
