Frederique Constant, which is celebrating its 35th birthday this year, is world leader in the `accessible luxury’ segment of the watch market. With 3000 sales outlets around the world, it is among the select few watch brands with its own facility for manufacturing movements including complications . The company launched its 31st in-house movement, the FC-735 Power Reserve Big Date at the Geneva Watch Days recently.
Man’s World (MW): How does Frederique Constant’s commitment to “Beyond Conventions” reflect in their approach to creativity and innovation?
Niels Eggerding (NE): For Frederique Constant, `Beyond Conventions represents a mindset that transcends traditional boundaries, it is an invitation to push beyond the limitations of conventional thinking and to explore uncharted territories with a sense of curiosity and a pioneering spirit. Our Manufacture collection illustrates it perfectly and is the testament to the brand’s commitment to producing remarkable timepieces with innovative in-house movements.
MW: What are your priorities for Frederique Constant watches in the coming year?
NE: Frederique Constant is strong between the price range of 600 and 4000 Euros. We analyzed and clearly identified that the premium segment (3000+ Euros) is growing globally. Therefore, we took the decision to tap in with our in-house calibers to have a bigger offer in that price segment. To start with, we just launched a new manufacture caliber during the Geneva Watch Days, the FC-735 Power Reserve Big Date. It is the brand’s 31st in-house movement, and the first time that we develop a big date in-house. As of next year, we plan on increasing all in-house calibers with a 72 hours+ power reserve.
MW: Is there anything specific you do to build trust when people are buying online from you?
NE:I couldn’t say there one specific action, there is a multitude of actions we undertake to improve our online presence and then reinforce the online customer’s trust. First, we have revamped our website and launched the new one this year, but we also increased our presence on social media, and improved the community management. We also introduced the Google reviews. Since June, our Customer Service and After-Sales Service teams bear a phrase in their email signature to encourage people to leave a comment, and I must say that the overall score has risen significantly, which is great.
MW: How would you summarise /describe the Frederique Constant customer?
NE: In the beginning, Frederique Constant’s typical consumer was the up-and-coming businessman or woman, educated, graduated from university, desiring a nice-looking, automatic watch. Nearly 20 years ago, the brand was producing only a small quantity of Manufacture calibers. Today, we have 31 in-house movements and Frederique Constant is no longer a small player but has become a serious player within the watchmaking industry – and the consumer knows it.
Consumers who are watch lovers are buying from us now because of the complications we can offer, Perpetual Calendars, Tourbillons, Worldtimers, to which we added the Monolithic oscillator, and now the Big Date. So, it’s no longer the “up-and-coming” business model only. We have enlarged our clientele to a serious group of connoisseurs, who love and appreciate watches.
MW: Considering the emphasis on accessible luxury, how significant is the Indian market for Frederique Constant?
NE: India has become an important market for Frederique Constant, and we are planning on increasing the number of points of sales with our two main partners, and to reinforce our presence in big cities. Not only by being featured in new malls developments, but also by opening points of sales in smaller cities and airports.
