Frédérique Constant

Frédérique Constant

Founded in 1988, Swiss watchmaker Frédérique Constant is the brainchild of husband-and-wife team Peter Stas and Aletta Bax. Headquartered in the watchmaking hub of Plan-les-Ouates, in Geneva, Switzerland, the company was acquired in 2016 by Japanese watchmaker Citizen (which runs several businesses, including watch brand Bulova).

Vintage Rally

Swiss house Frédérique Constant is known for its ties to classic cars, partnering with the likes of the Peking to Paris car rally. The union has produced watches such as the Vintage Rally Healey collection, for which its chronograph - powered by an automatic FC-397 movement with a 46 hour power reserve - comes in either a stainless steel or rose gold plated stainless steel case, and further set on a cool, perforated leather racing strap. Also within the Vintage Rally collection is the Healey GMT collection, which includes a handsome model (price £2,090) with a rose gold plated stainless steel case contrasted on a dark dial and racing strap.

Smartwatches

In view of Frédérique Constant being an affordable Swiss luxury watch brand, one may not take the view that the company sells smartwatches. But in fact it has a whole collection that pays service to the more digitally inclined. Most striking is its Classics line of connected watches that, on first glance, appears to tell the time like a traditional, mechanical Swiss watch (move over the computer-screen-on-the -wrist Apple Watch) but in fact is also fully wired up with a dial that analogically displays information, from sleep tracking to sport activity. With a price of just over £1,000, the collection includes a stainless steel case version with a silvered dial.

From quartz to tourbillon

Frédérique Constant watches span the full range of movements, from quartz to high complications. Representing the quartz side are the likes of the elegant Classics Art Deco for ladies, a vintage style watch with Roman numerals set on a black mother of pearl dial, and available with either a stainless steel bracelet (price £802) or black satin strap (price £702). And those of the view that affordable mainly implies quartz or simple three-handers, this Swiss house also makes complicated tourbillon and moonphase watches with all their mechanics on view. There’s also a Manufacture Worldtimer collection that will tell the time in a host of global cities, from Hong Kong to New York, Karachi to Azores (with, naturally, the time in Geneva, London and GMT at the 12 o’clock position). Powered by the automatic FC-718 movement, the steel case model on a blue dial matched with a navy strap is particularly eye-catching.

Service Atelier

Those who may also take the view that affordable means lack of service, in fact Frédérique Constant has a dedicated Service Atelier for watch repairs. Located in Geneva, the Service Atelier will repair typical problems from loose screws to replacing damaged hands (often from after the hands touch one another when setting the time). More mechanical service repairs will be addressed too, such as an automatic mechanism malfunction or regulation of accuracy, the latter which will be done by a specialist who will view, check and reposition the spiral of the balance as required.