After the great success of last year’s Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Manufacture, Frederique Constant launches two new limited editions in stainless steel or 18K rose gold. The Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Manufacture timepiece embodies the founders' visionary quest to democratise Swiss watchmaking savoir-faire and innovation. The stainless steel version is priced at CHF 22,995, the rose gold model at 29,995 CHF.
The two new Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Manufacture models are presented in a substantial 42mm diameter 3-part case, available either in polished stainless steel (limited edition of 88 pieces) or in 18K rose gold (30 pieces). Both come with a see-through case back to let one admire the delicate perlage and Côtes de Genève decorations of the FC-975 movement. The watches feature a skeletonized silver colour dial with navy blue sub-dials and outer ring and a navy-blue alligator strap.
The perpetual calendar complication also displays the day, date and month and requires even less adjustments than an annual calendar. This sophisticated complication acknowledges the number of days each month, displays the year and automatically adjust itself for the leap year. Once set, it will remember the months with 30 and 31 days, the 28 days of February as well as the leap year cycle with the return of 29th of February every four years. The Perpetual Calendar doesn't require any manual correction before 400 years, although there is an exception in the Gregorian Calendar, the watch will need to be adjusted on March 1st, 2100. The hour and minute functions are all adjustable through the crown. The dial presents at 12 o’clock the months and leap year, at 3 o’clock the days and at 9 o’clock the week days.
The tourbillon’s cage sits at 6 o’clock, with its incorporated seconds hand that rotates once every minute. Each cage is sequentially numbered on the top plate in the center of the cage, matching the limited-edition number on the case.
Aiming to provide ultimate precision, the in-house automatic FC-975 movement is equipped with a silicium escapement wheel and anchor. This specific material counters problems caused by the effect of the earth’s gravity when the movement is in a vertical position and is resistant to temperature change. This movement also bears a smart weight balance wheel and an delicate and even tourbillon cage. Frederique Constant patented its tourbillon cage composed of 80 components all produced with a precision of 1-2 micron (0.001-0.002 mm) thanks to its CNC machines. In order to achieve the highest degree of precision, small weights are added in the tourbillon’s cage to obtain a perfect balance. When the tourbillon is constructed, the cage’s stability is slightly off, as the escapement wheel and anchor are decentered. Frederique Constant added a “smart screw” system on the outer edge of the tourbillon to equalize the weight and deliver a perfect balance within the cage, resulting in a more stable amplitude and rate.
