Hodinkee
Introducing: Frederique Constant's Thirty-First Caliber: The Classic Power Reserve Big Date Manufacture
It's a lot of bang for your buck in a solid package – just what we've come to expect from Frederique Constant.
692 articles · 4 videos found · page 6 of 24
Hodinkee
It's a lot of bang for your buck in a solid package – just what we've come to expect from Frederique Constant.
Time+Tide
The Frederique Constant Classic Power Reserve Big Date Manufacture combines elegant style with mechanical wow factor It’s highly accessible in design, referencing classic mid-century styles The FC-735 is Frederique Constant’s 31st in-house movement, signalling their intent to continue driving their brand upmarket Sometimes the little things in life are worth celebrating, and for Frederique Constant, … ContinuedThe post The Frederique Constant Classic Power Reserve Big Date Manufacture is a sign of a brand going upmarket appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
This marks the third montre de souscription from Monochrome Monochrome aimed to design a “warm, discreet, and traditional” take on the Armin Strom Gravity Equal Force This edition stands out with its usage of maillechort, or German silver, for the movement These days, whether standard models or limited editions, many try to leverage bold colours … ContinuedThe post The new Armin Strom Gravity Equal Force Maillechort is Monochrome’s latest montre de souscription appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Teddy Baldassarre
Frederique Constant has been making watches for only 35 years, but the Geneva-based brand’s list of accomplishments, and its impressive and diverse roster of timepieces, might well convince you that it has been at the horology game much longer. In this feature, we trace the history of Frederique Constant, showcase its plentiful milestones over the course of three-plus decades, and introduce you to the standout models in the current Frederique Constant collection. 1988: The Foundations When Dutch entrepreneur Peter Stas and his wife Aletta Stas-Bax set out to establish the Swiss watch manufacturer Frederique Constant in 1988, they were rolling the dice on a business plan that was anything but a sure thing. The Quartz Crisis that had ravaged the traditional Swiss watch industry since the 1970s was still ongoing and the return of the luxury mechanical watch to prominence and collectibility had yet to ramp up in a major way. However, both the timing of the launch and the underserved niche that it targeted - affordable, elegant watches with Swiss mechanical movements for enthusiasts with relatively modest budgets - proved to be wise, as evidenced by the company still going strong in its 35th year, with an impressive string of milestones under its belt, which we’ll touch on below. Frederique Constant is today one of the largest Swiss watchmaking firms; the company doesn't disclose production numbers, but Peter Stas stated in 2019 that the goal was to increase capacity fr...
Time+Tide
The Frederique Constant Highlife Automatic collection has been expanded with three new light colours With their sporty versatility and summery colour schemes, they could be considered affordable alternatives for the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 The Classics Premiere collection has also been announced in limited numbers, with traditional looks in an elegant case Often when discussing … ContinuedThe post The colourful Frederique Constant Highlife Automatic and Classics Premiere appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Frederique Constant follows up their precious metal Classic Tourbillon Manufacture W&W; debut with two steel models Each model is limited to 350 pieces in honor of the 35th anniversary of the brand High value proposition – in-house tourbillon watch priced at US$15,695 During Watches & Wonders, Frederique Constant’s hero novelty was a new more compact take … ContinuedThe post The Frederique Constant Classic Tourbillon Manufacture Steel takes the value proposition a step further appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Wei visits Frederique Constant’s manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva to speak to Managing Director of the brand, Niels Eggerding, about the limited edition collaboration that is probably the most revolutionary that we have ever done. The Frederique Constant x Revolution Slimline Monolithic Future Past (Salmon) celebrates watchmaking’s past with a form factor reminiscent of 1940s chronometers […]
Revolution
Wei and Jeremiah take a closer look at Revolution’s latest collaboration with Frederique Constant, a brand whose mission is to bring luxury to a wider audience. In 2021, Frederique Constant introduced the Slimline Monolithic, a watch that replaced all 26 components of the oscillator and escapement, instead employing a single silicon disc as the regulating […]
Revolution
At the end of Day 3 at Watches and Wonders 2023, Team Revolution wound up at Frederique Constant’s booth where Wei held a discussion with an esteemed panel of guests about Revolution’s latest limited edition collaboration: The Frederique Constant x Revolution Slimline Monolithic Future Past (Salmon). This watch is an amalgamation of Frederique Constant’s history-making […]
Revolution
Niels Eggerding. Managing Director at Frederique Constant, shares with Revolution Founder Wei Koh the novelties that his brand presented at Watches and Wonders 2023. These include the 41mm Highlife Worldtimer in 18k rose gold or steel, powered by the automatic FC-718 Manufacture with 38-hour power reserve and limited to 35 pieces for the gold model; […]
Time+Tide
The Frederique Constant Highlife Sparkling brings a touch of dawn to the night sky dial. Its 1970s style case grounds the use of diamonds, giving it a sporty flavour. It uses a quick-change strap system, to use with the bracelet and the included white rubber strap. For those who crave both the energy of an … ContinuedThe post Sophisticated bling: The Frederique Constant Highlife Sparkling appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The Frederique Constant Classics Tourbillon Manufacture celebrates the brand’s 35th birthday. The calibre FC-980 returns as the brand’s flagship in-house movement. It’s a limited edition of 150 pieces. Frederique Constant is often referred to as an affordable luxury brand, which I believe does them somewhat of a disservice. While they do have a large range … ContinuedThe post The Frederique Constant Classics Tourbillon Manufacture is a high-end flex from an accessible brand appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
It’s hard to believe, but Frederique Constant celebrates their 35th anniversary this year. This is a brand that’s truly part of the old guard when it comes to the contemporary, affordable watch scene. Making the “nice Swiss watch” accessible to the masses was a big part of why the brand was founded, and over the course of their history the entire watch industry has changed multiple times over, currently finding itself in a healthy spot where more and better watches are finding their way onto the wrists of enthusiasts at a pace that couldn’t have have been imagined three decades ago. The line between “luxury” and “affordable” continues to shift, and there’s no doubt that Frederique Constant has played a role in those changes. Specifically, Frederique Constant has broken new ground when it comes to making complicated watchmaking affordable. We all know about their excellent perpetual calendar, which they are still able to sell for a little less than $10,000 several years after its debut. But they also dabble in other historically significant and tech forward complications. Over the years we’ve seen everything from flyback chronographs to moon phases equipped watches, and of course their Slimline Monolithic with an ultra high frequency oscillator. But it could be argued that their signature complication, the one that the brand has leaned into the hardest and gained the most acclaim for, is the worldtimer. So it makes sense that for Frederique Constant...
Time+Tide
Last year saw many brands reinvent themselves, create completely new collections, or try to grab hold of the latest hype train for dear life. Yet some brands doubled down on their sensibilities and reminded us what it is they stand for. One of those being Frederique Constant, who continue to grow as a company on … ContinuedThe post The top three Frederique Constant releases of 2022 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Finally! Lang & Heine releases the commercial (9 piece limited edition) release of the Friedrich II Remontoir, a collaboration with The Lavish Attic.
Hodinkee
World timers used to be the realm of the super-wealthy, but brands like Frederique Constant are out to change that.
Deployant
Frederique Constant releases a new version of the Classics Worldtimer Offline Full Black Special Edition. Here is our impressions on the novelty.
Deployant
Armin Strom releases an 8 piece limited edition series of their Gravity Equal Force in collaboration with Sincere Haute Horlogerie (SHH),.
Time+Tide
Collaborative limited editions are nothing new to the industry. It would seem over the last few years we see one debut every month, and the trend is still going strong. But with so many hitting the market, it is more important than ever for all parties involved to realise something that is truly fresh that … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Armin Strom Gravity Equal Force P.03 for Collective looks to make high horology more casual appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Frederique Constant and Alpina are two brands that have existed under the Citizen Watch group umbrella for some time. Each bring something special to the table, whether it be through the movement innovations and timeless designs supplied by Frederique Constant or the bold, adventure-driven watches presented by Alpina. With Geneva Watch Days, each brand continues … ContinuedThe post GENEVA WATCH DAYS: Frederique Constant and Alpina refine two of their classics appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
The new Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance First Edition is what some might call a reboot of the collection. But Joshua Munchow looks at it more as a rebirth. The new release has a high percent of shared “DNA” with the original Mirrored Force Resonance, but it is obviously made for a new era.
Deployant
Armin Strom gives its Mirrored Force Resonance a facelift, and interestingly calls it the First Edition, though the model has been around since 2016.
Deployant
The Frederique Constant Slimline Monolithic Manufacture is a watch that redefines high-beat, with a heart that vibrates at 288,000 vph.
Quill & Pad
For the Gravity Equal Force Ultimate Sapphire, Armin Strom teamed up with Kari Voutilainen to give the backplate a refined guilloche motif. We clearly see the hand of the master in this: while the design of the guilloche is not particularly outgoing, it shows its refinement in the way that it is draped around the other parts of the watch. It gently directs the eye to all the right places, allowing admiration for this technical-looking piece to grow.
Revolution
Introducing Frederique Constant Highlife Worldtimer Manufacture
SJX Watches
Best known for affordable complications, Frederique Constant’s recent watches include a flyback chronograph for US$4,000 and a perpetual calendar for a bit under US$10,000. But the brand has also applied modern technology to its watchmaking with its analog smartwatches. The brand’s latest offering is cutting-edge horology, but in a mechanical movement. The Slimline Monolithic Manufacture is equipped with an automatic movement that runs at 40 Hz, or 288,000 beats per hour (bph), thanks to a compliant-mechanism silicon oscillator instead of a balance wheel. Initial thoughts It’s a pleasant surprise to see Frederique Constant delving into advanced horological solutions with its silicon compliant mechanism and entering a space often associated with pricier brands like Ulysse Nardin and Zenith. Even more impressive is the fact that the movement is not just as a concept, but a commercially available watch that will be in stores in fall of this year and priced relatively affordably, starting at €4,495, or about US$5,300, in steel. The advanced movement leaves the design of the Monolithic Manufacture incongruous with its classical styling and a truly modern oscillator. However, as such watches go, the design is not the point – it is all about the novel escapement that will certainly pique the interest of technical-minded enthusiasts. Hi-tech collab The high-frequency silicon oscillator was born of a collaboration with Flexous, a startup focused on compliant mechanis...
Revolution
Frederique Constant found the perfect partner in the RedBar Group to create two special limited edition Frederique Constant Highlife watches.
Time+Tide
Frederique Constant has updated and overhauled their Highlife line, which was originally created more than 20 years ago to bring a high-value horological offering to the consumer. Standard production models of this new lineup were recently launched in steel, gold-plated, and two-tone steel and gold-plated models - in both time and date only (Automatic COSC) and … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Frederique Constant Highlife RedBar Limited Editions sure are nice, and if you ain’t RedBar you can’t buy ’em (for now) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Long focused on affordable mechanical watches, Frederique Constant continued with its specialty after its acquisition by Japanese watchmaking giant Citizen. Now the Swiss brand has just revived its bestseller from two decades ago, the Highlife collection, which has been redesigned extensively. It’s a new watch in all but name – the revamped Highlife harks back to the integrated-strap of the original, but it is a design very much catered to today’s taste. The Highlife Perpetual Calendar Manufacture The new Highlife collection debuts with three models that share the same tonneau-shaped case and integrated bracelet with quick-release pins. The most interesting watch of the trio is the Highlife Perpetual Calendar Manufacture, which is affordable despite its in-house movement and styling that’s reminiscent of more expensive watches. The other two models in the line up are simple automatics: one is time-only with an “Open Heart” dial revealing the balance wheel, and the other is a COSC-certified three-hander with date. Highlife Automatic COSC The Highlife Heart Beat Initial thoughts The Highlife manages to translate the look of high-end luxury-sports watches into an affordable watch by keeping a few design elements and simplifying everything. It is unavoidably derivative in style, but competently designed. So the 41 mm case is a simple affair with simple lines and surfaces, but dressed up with a polished, domed bezel. However, it avoids looking too plain even with t...
Quill & Pad
Gravity Equal Force marks the official beginning of a new direction at Armin Strom: with its advent the brand also launched a new collection, System 78, which builds an entry-level core on innovation and a more refined design sensibility. After the stunning success of the introductory stainless steel model, Armin Strom now offers the Gravity Equal Force in a luxurious and classic pink gold combined with black dial elements.
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