Established in 1988 by independent entrepreneurs, Aletta and Peter Stas, Frederique Constant is a Swiss watch brand that offers quality timepieces at affordable prices. Ever since its inception, the brand has come a long way and creates, develops, and assembles a wide range of mechanical, quartz, and connected timepieces at its manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva.
To this day, Frederique Constant has designed 30 in-house calibres, including high complications such as: the tourbillon, the perpetual calendar, and the flyback chronograph, as well as a groundbreaking escapement—the Monolithic. It is 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. And this Diwali, the brand is all set to unveil a magnificent range of timekeepers for both men and women.
Available under four collections—Highlife Ladies Quartz, Classics Art Déco Carre for women, and Highlife Heart Beat and Classic Quartz Chronograph Triple Calendar for men—these gorgeous watches are sure to be the perfect wrist companions for the festive season. Let’s take a closer look.
Classics Art Déco Carre
The Classics Art Déco line by Frederique Constant was first launched in 2005, and for this festive season, the brand has launched three new versions of the Classics Art Déco Carre collection. With a sleeker case and more streamlined proportions, these three new versions have been created combining natural mother-of-pearl with diamonds. The classic style is further enhanced by guilloche work on the dial and the crown, decorated with a cabochon.
With its elegant design, the watch is perfect for everyday use and is sure to find favour with people who have loved the aesthetics of the Classics Art Déco collection, ever since it was first launched, at a time when oversized watches were more in demand. While the first model was in a ‘barrel’ shape, it was revamped in 2013 to give it an oval profile. Seven years later, in 2020, it was given a new design where a perfect circle was added to the oval outline.
The collection FC 200MPW2AC6B is priced at INR 72,300.
Highlife Ladies Quartz
The Highlife Ladies Quartz 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. Each of these variations features hands and applied hour markers, filled with luminescent material, and one cannot miss the double markers at 12 o’clock—a Highlife signature detail.
In addition, the Highlife Ladies Quartz collection opens up new prospects for Frederique Constant, whose primary mission is to create sophisticated watches with high-quality finishes at affordable prices. And with these new Highlife watches, the ladies are surely not going to complain.
The collection FC-240GRD2NH6B is available at Helios stores at a price of INR 93,100.
Classic Quartz Chronograph Triple Calendar
In 2022, Frederique Constant launched the Classics Quartz Chronograph Triple Calendar, which comes with modern and new-age features, showcasing the best of Swiss craftsmanship and traditional watchmaking know-how. And the new chronograph style is more slender, presenting an elegant and streamlined look. This Classics Quartz Chronograph Triple Calendar range case has a precise and detailed outlook, while maintaining its classy vintage style. While the mechanism is deeply rooted in the classical era, Frederique Constant has created the Classics Quartz Chronograph Triple Calendar for a contemporary audience who appreciate the timelessness of such classic watches.
The 40mm timekeeper comes in a case that is scratch-resistant and protected by a convex sapphire crystal with a closed caseback that makes it water-resistant to 30m. The watches come in three new shades: a steel case housing either a dark-grey dial with sunray finishing, worn on a black leather strap with black stitching, or a silver dial with sunray finishing presented on a black leather strap with black stitching. The third model features a rose gold-plated case enhanced by a silver dial with sunray finishing, presented on a brown leather strap with brown stitching.
The collection FC 296SW5B4 is priced at INR 97,800.
Highlife Heart Beat Collection
Many collectors now associate Frederique Constant with this distinctive design, which reveals the inner workings of its movement through an aperture positioned at 12 o’clock. There are now three different versions of the Highlife Heart Beat to choose from.
The first features a white dial and rose gold-plated case with a brown leather strap (complemented by a brown rubber strap), the second features a blue dial with a steel bracelet (complemented by a blue rubber strap) and the last features a black dial with a steel case and bracelet (complemented by a black rubber strap). Elegant and refined, sporty chic, or modern and bold—each variation offers a unique interpretation of the Heart Beat design, thereby allowing collectors to choose from a wide array of watches, best suited to their personalities.
The Collection FC-310N4NH6B is priced at INR 1,65,800.
Lead Image: Credits: Frederique Constant
