Anyone keeping an eye on the Manufacture models released by Frederique Constant over the past year will have noticed a subtle theme emerging: Slimmer cases, cleaner dials, and increasingly impressive in-house movements.
At Watches & Wonders 2023, the brand wowed watch fans with the launch of the Classic Tourbillon Manufacture, a technical and aesthetic triumph that manages to be a fantastic value proposition to boot.
And later last year, Frederique Constant unveiled its Classic Power Reserve Big Date Manufacture boasting a trio of complications unprecedented in the Citizen group-owned brand’s collection.
In both pieces, we saw the integration of a stunning three-part case featuring re-dimensioned lugs and contours, grippy onion crown, plus sweet-spot diameter of 40mm – the Tourbillon Manufacture was even 39mm. Previously, such Manufacture models tended to be at least 42mm across.
As for the face of these watches, the brand eschewed a busy layout including Roman numerals, opting instead for a clean, minimalist approach using only applied diamond-faceted hour markers that really look the part on top of a beautifully sunbrushed dial plate.
And with its 50-hour power reserve, the Power Reserve Big Date Manufacture’s FC-735 calibre hinted that Frederique Constant has been on a quest to improve the performance and autonomy of its manufacture movements, in addition to ensuring their decoration remains spot-on.
And the Theme Goes On
The above theme has continued at Watches & Wonders 2024 where Frederique Constant has unveiled a pair of fetching updates within its family of timepieces packing manufacture movements: Step forward the Classic Date Manufacture and Classic Moonphase Date Manufacture.
Both new releases feature that smart, revamped 40mm case in stainless steel. Both bear a clean, refined dial composition that makes reading the time and date – or poetic moonphase – a real pleasure. And both feature next-generation FC-700 series in-house calibres that pack generous 72-hour power reserves. As a testament to the brand’s belief in the reliability of these new movements, each watch comes with a five-year warranty.
Birds of a Feather
The Classic Date Manufacture and Classic Moonphase Date Manufacture provide ample evidence that Frederique Constant is developing a coherent design language across its Manufacture range.
These two watches in particular are like birds of a feather. Besides sharing the case, dial and movement attributes mentioned above, both bear a smart railway minute track around the dial periphery. And on both dials, the complications in focus – date, or moonphase and date – are found neatly packaged in a subdial at 6 o’clock.
Some previous Classic Moonphase Date Manufactures separated the date and moonphase into two subdials which, coupled with tall Roman numerals, made for a visually rich affair. Now, with these two latest models, we have something altogether different: airy, sober and understated.
Barrel Boost
The new FC-706 (time and date) and FC-716 (date and moonphase) automatic manufacture calibres that respectively power each of these new timepieces both feature a new barrel that offers 72 hours of autonomy when fully wound – nearly double that of their predecessors.
Likewise, new decorations on the movements can be glimpsed through the transparent display back, with radial Geneva waves replacing the previously deployed circular stripes.
Dial and Strap Options
The Frederique Constant Classic Date Manufacture in stainless steel is available in three editions: with salmon dial and brown alligator strap; with silvered dial and navy-blue alligator strap; and with black dial and black alligator strap.
Similarly, the Frederique Constant Classic Moonphase Date Manufacture in stainless steel comes in three variations: with navy dial and navy alligator strap; with silvered dial and navy alligator strap; and with green dial and green alligator strap.
