New Frederique Constant Releases Are The Definition of Quiet Luxury

Watches & Wonders, the weeklong celebration of traditional watchmaking that takes place in Geneva each spring, is not a subtle affair. Inside the cavernous Palexpo exhibition hall, the world’s biggest brands vie for eyeballs and bragging rights with expansive booths featuring immersive video installations, pyrotechnic displays, and eye-catching architectural features. At Frederique Constant, however, the entire focus of the brand’s booth was its collection of refined, classic, Swiss-made watches. And as anyone who knows much about Frederique Constant will tell you, that’s precisely on-brand.

Frederique Constant’s novelties for 2024 were as subtle and serious as its booth, consisting of two new models in three variations each. The first of them, the new Classic Moonphase Date Manufacture is a textbook Frederique Constant creation in every sense, from its midsized 40mm steel case to its austere dial to its in-house movement. Frederique Constant is known for its staunch commitment to creating its own calibres, and (along with classic, understated looks) this is what draws collectors and fans to the brand. As such, the new watch is powered by a new FC-716 movement with a 72-hour power reserve that’s based on a 4hz movement originally developed by Frederique Constant a decade ago.

As its name suggests, the Classic Moonphase Date Manufacture is distinguished by a moon-phase complication with an integrated date visible through a cutout at six o’clock. It’s available with three distinct sunray-brushed dials in blue, silver and green and includes a sapphire display back. Priced at $5,595 on a colour-matched alligator leather strap, and backed by a five-year warranty, that’s a lot of refinement for the money. Knowing what we know about Frederique Constant, it would be no surprise to see a gold-case model join the lineup in the coming months. Learn more

The Classic Date Manufacture has been a fan favourite at Frederique Constant for the last decade, and the brand made several important updates to this beloved piece for 2024. Now cut from the same cloth as the Classic Moonphase Date Manufacture, it features a 40mm steel case (a slight reduction from this model’s previous 42mm size), diamond-cut hour markers, and the new FC-706 Manufacture calibre, complete with a 72-hour power reserve and a five-year warranty. Where the Moonphase model features a moon phase display and integrated date, however, the Classic Date opts for a simpler time-and-date-only layout, with the same date window at six.

Priced at $4,795, which is less than a thousand dollars less expensive than the Moonphase model, one might wonder why you wouldn’t plump up the extra $800 to enjoy Frederique Constant’s take on the classic celestial complication. Two reasons initially come to mind. The first is that the Classic Date Manufacture is the platonic ideal of an everyday dress watch, with everything you need and nothing you don’t. The second is that the Classic Date Manufacture comes with a stunning salmon-toned sunray dial that’s unavailable in the more expensive model (at least for now). It’s also available in silver and black, and the latter looks particularly good with the single pop of red on the date display. Whichever you choose, this is the sort of watch that promises to look good for many years to come.

The post New Frederique Constant Releases Are The Definition of Quiet Luxury appeared first on Sharp Magazine.