Exploring the Breadth of Proficiency From Frederique Constant

Layers of history are the bedrock of the watch industry. And I'm talking in the hundreds of years, not the tens. Multi-generations, gradual evolutions, and the passing through trending design styles, if you've ever come across something in watchmaking that's new to you, there's almost always a longstanding lineage to its realisation. But not all great watch manufacturers were born centuries prior, with arguably some of the most exciting innovators being barely old enough to remember the advent of quartz. 

One outfit that falls into this category is Frederique Constant, a brand first established in 1988 that, in just 30 years, has become one of the biggest Swiss proponents of accessible luxury. Founded by Dutch entrepreneurs Peter Stas and Aletta Stas-Bax, The company's name is a tribute to their great-grandparents - Frédérique Schreiner and Constant Stas (even with younger brands, legacy is around every corner). '88 marked the first year the newly formed brand began to conceptualise its watches, with the first collection taking four years to market in 1992. Named the Century Collection and made up of six pieces, these inaugural watches were powered by Swiss movements with classic styling and triumphantly established Frederique Constant's DNA.

Further key dates in the diary include the birth of the Heart Beat concept in 1994. This saw a circular hole in the dial that exposed the balance wheel, something that has gone on to become one of many signatures of 'FC'. The brand's success grew in tandem with the scale of operation, and just 12 years after the first collection debuted, Frederique Constant created its first in-house calibre, the FC-910. In 2002 they also acquired and revived the revered watch brand Alpina – talk about successful entrepreneurs. 2008 saw the release of their first tourbillon, the Tourbillon Manufacture, powered by the FC-980 calibre, ahead of 2015, where they embraced the future and released a smartwatch. From a mechanical tourbillon to a rather cleverly executed smartwatch, now that's a brand with range.

Frederique Constant Classic Heartbeat Automatic FC-310MC5B6

After being acquired by Citizen in 2016, significant moments kept coming. From the flyback chronograph, hybrid manufacture (quartz and mechanical living together as one), to the technical breakthrough that is the Monolithic Manufacture. Frederique Constant has been on the charge ever since the doors were opened for business. As a result, they've become a significant Swiss brand, comfortably establishing itself as one of the largest Swiss manufacturers in its sector. It's a brand that struggles to sit still, with wildly popular watches ideal for younger collectors and those seeking boundary-pushing innovations; let's explore it all.

Classic

A logical place to jump off is the Classic collection, a name which alone does a lot of talking. The principles you'd assume this collection to abide by are precisely what you'll find, with everlasting design cues, traditional shapes, and simply archetypal realisation of a timepiece. But the 'Classic' name doesn't just refer to conventionality such as the Roman numerals of the Art Deco or the versatile round case of the Classic Index, as here is where proprietary Frederique Constant classics also reside. Of note is the Classic Heartbeat, an evolved expression of its mid-90s ancestor. The Slimline is also a meaningful child of the Classic series, where many traditional techniques reside. Guilloché dials, Breguet hands, Roman numerals, stepped cases, railroad tracks, moon phases; seriously, the Slimline has it going on.

For new collectors looking to familiarise themselves with the brand through pieces at the entry point to Frederique Constant, the Classic collection is for those seeking capable watches for everyday and special occasions; sometimes, that's all you want from a watch.  

Frederique Constant Manufacture Classic Tourbillion FC-980N3H6.

Highlife

Now we come to a series many know Frederique Constant for as since it re-entered the collection in 2020, it's received a ton of love. News flash, the watch style of the past half a decade has been the integrated bracelet sports watch. Everyone has taken a stab at a 'Sport Elegance' watch from the very top to the bottom, and for Frederique Constant, it's the Highlife. It's a model series that ticks many boxes, with a COSC-certified movement for the three-hander, an automatic powered chronograph, and both elegant and bold expressions for the Ladies collection; that's just scratching the surface. 

In fact, here's a quick look at some of the Highlife models Frederique Constant has developed and released since 2020:

• Auto COSC
• Auto Skeleton
• Plated Two-Tone
• Plated Gold
• Heart Beat (naturally)
• Automatic Chronograph
• Ladies Auto 
• Perpetual Calendar Manufacture
• Worldtimer Manufacture 

That's a lot in just three years. 

But while the Highlife has enjoyed its recent time in the limelight, its a name and concept first seen in the late 1990s sporting a bracelet design and dial execution very indicative of the era. Starting at £1,495 for the Ladies collection and £1,795 for the Gents Auto and climbing up to £7,995 for the Perpetual Calendar, there is impressive value to be had with the Highlife. 

Frederique Constant Highlife Chrono Limited Edition FC-391WN4NH6.

Smartwatch

Here's a turn of events you may not have predicted, ladies and gents: a smartwatch from Frederique Constant. Now, this isn't something you'll find at many other watchmakers (Only TAG Heuer, Mont Blanc, Louis Vuitton, and Hublot come to mind). Still, much like Swatch did when battery-powered watches came along in the 1970s, Frederique Constant decided to embrace the new smartwatch revolution by joining rather than avoiding it. But here's the thing, they didn't just incorporate a screen into a case and call it done, but they went down the pairing analogue and digital route with extreme harmony. On the surface, these are conventional two-hander watches. Classic Roman numerals, a round 42mm case, leaf-style hands, and a glossy dial – an overall elegantly designed and produced piece, right? Well, push the button on the crown (mono-pusher style), and a display appears, revealing a digital dial towards the lower half of the piece.

From here, you can measure your heart rate, track your sleep, receive message notifications, track activity and workouts, check out the weather, and receive notifications – all via a connection to an app on your phone. But perhaps the coolest feature? Well, that has to be the chronograph. Once this mode is selected, the conventional minute hand transforms into a second hand, and now you have a functioning chronograph with the display being used to show the seconds. This piece can also be a world timer, all coming in for £850.

In today's age, the idea of a smartwatch is tough to resist, but one key element that I know holds me back is that I don't want to look down at my wrist and see a shrunken version of my phone staring back at me. With the coexistence of analogue and digital, Frederique Constant may have provided us with a solution. 

Frederique Constant Smartwatch Gents Vitality FC-287B5B6.

Manufacture

Throughout the previously explored collections, there have been a few instances of complications you wouldn't typically expect to find at the more accessible end of luxury. A perpetual calendar, a tourbillon, a world timer, and a flyback chronograph. These are the more complex complications generally associated with waitlists and VIP customers. But once again, Frederique Constant challenges the status quo, thanks to their ability to manufacture calibres. As such, these complications are not reserved exclusively for the top 1% and have been rolled out throughout their well-established line-up. The Perpetual Calendar and the Worldtimer can be found within the Highlife and Classic collection, while the Tourbillon and the Flyback Chronograph reside in the Classic, although I could see that changing in due course. 

Frederique Constant Manufacture Classic Worldtimer FC-718NWM4H6.

As an entry point into Swiss in-house complications, Frederique Constant is as good as unrivalled, but its stand-out creation has to be the Monolithic. On the surface, this in-house member of the Slimline series is business as usual. Quintessential Frederique Constant, with Roman numerals, a guilloché, and the unmistakable Heart Beat addition. However, this heart beats a touch faster than other Slimline models clocking in at 288,000 vph (40Hz). And no, that's not a typo. FC uses compliant mechanisms (or monolithic structures) to replace 26 parts of a conventional movement. Therefore, this Swiss army knife of a component is significantly more efficient, accurate, and reliable. A result of the incredibly higher beat rate is not only a totally smooth seconds hand but also an audible and quirky hum to the movement. The Monolithic also has 80 hours of autonomy, and as it flexes on itself, it does not need any jewels. This is true innovation. All from a watch brand that operates within the accessible luxury end of the industry while also bringing us a smartwatch. 

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Discover all Frederique Constant here.