Frederique Constant reveals an exciting year ahead
The family-owned Swiss watch manufacturer Frederique Constant embarks on another passion-filled year with the unveiling of its latest fascinating and innovative pieces as well as the introduction of its newest face of the brand, the A-list and award-winning Hollywood actress, Gwyneth Paltrow
Defined by its high quality, differentiation and precision in design and manufacturing, the family-owned watch manufacturer Frederique Constant attributes its continued success with its perceived value, through quality of design, materials, and manufacture. The company, established in 1988 by Dutch entrepreneur Peter Stas and his wife Aletta Bax, has fast grown into one of the larger Swiss watch manufacturers, from producing its first collection of 6 Swiss-made models in 1992 to a total of 145,000 timepieces in 2015.
Bound to embrace innovation to offer creativity and exceptional value, the company takes charge from initial design, to final assembly and quality control. It ensures maximum quality and durability of each of its timepieces produced in its massive 32,000 square foot facility, filled with the latest equipment and extensive controls, based in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland. Since the launch of its in-house movement the Heart Beat Manufacture calibre in 2004, the Manufacture has developed, manufactured, and assembled in-house calibres, with 20 different versions.
The brand’s popular slogan “Live your passion” is a true embodiment of the business, its people, and its products, and couldn’t be better illustrated than in the form of its year-on-year additions to its growing collections.
Manufacture Perpetual Calendar
After introducing the first Swiss made Horological Smartwatch, powered by MotionX® last year, Frederique Constant is pushing out the boundaries of innovation once more. This year, Frederique Constant is investing a new field of mechanical perfection by creating its first in-house perpetual calendar – a mechanical wonder that will keep track on all the days of our lives for a century at a time.
Produced and assembled by the Frederique Constant watchmakers in our Plan-les-Ouates ateliers, the Manufacture Perpetual Calendar beats to the new in-house FC-775 automatic calibre, which drives the hour and minute hands along with the perpetual calendar. The finishing of the 191 parts, produced with the Frederique Constant CNC machines makes sure that this timepiece is a reliable gage of long-term functionality.
Appreciated as a masterpiece in its simplicity and refinement, the perpetual calendar shows the lunar cycles but also the minutes, hours, date, day, month and leap year in four digits. Normally this watch shouldn't require any manual correction before 400 years, but as there is an exception in the Gregorian Calendar, the watch will need to be adjusted on March 1st 2100, which would have been be a leap year.
Three models will be available at launch: one in stainless steel with a white dial, and two in rose gold plate. These three first models are presented with a very clean and pure dial, either silver or blue with the button-hour markers matching the colour of the case.
Horological Smartwatch, powered by MotionX®
Following the success of the MotionX® powered Horological Smartwatch launched in 2015, Frederique Constant introduces new and unexpected functionalities to the current Horological Smartwatch module including a worldtimer function.
Conceived to meet the needs of long-distance travellers, the new worldtimer function is essential for those who regularly roam the planet. Every time the watch synchronises with the user’s smartphone the date and time are adjusted, giving complete control over time zone changes. The new functionality can also be added to previous models of the Horological Smartwatch by simply updating the MotionX-365® app.
This 42mm highly-polished rose gold plated steel case with a captivating navy blue dial piece is built with the MMT-285 calibre, and powered by Fullpower’s end-to-end MotionX® technology platform, with a battery life that will keep your Horological Smartwatch running up for two and a half years before replacement, without the need to be charged.
Offering hours, minutes and date, the "smart" aspect of this watch comes from its ability to accurately track your activity and sleep patterns. This data is also displayed in the attractive MotionX-365® app, available for iOS and Android, with simple and easy to understand graphics to highlight how much one has moved and slept during the day, week, or month.
Classics Delight Automatic
The new Frederique Constant Delight Collection has been designed with the perfect combination of elegance, form and slenderness, representing the apex in feminine style. From the first touch, one is drawn in by the way the Delight’s links silently glide over the wrist, and the serenity of its classical dial. With luxurious two-tone colour, the Delight has been crafted to fit the owner, its presence perfectly complimenting the art of haute-joaillerie.
Moreover, this remarkable collection follows the precedent set by Frederique Constant in support of global charity. The Delight Automatic Collection supports the charitable cause of the Frederique Constant Foundation, with each watch sold contributing US$50 to directly support innovative, impactful and lasting charities organisations around the world, helping women and children in particular.
This charity project extends through the introduction of the new FREDERIQUE CONSTANT brand ambassador, the Oscar-winning actress and philanthropist Gwyneth Paltrow. Her natural and classical beauty, inspirational involvement in Charity and undisputable charisma make her the perfect match for our independent and family-owned Swiss watch brand. She will be involved with the brand’s educational projects of the “DonorsChoose” organization. Also, she will star the Charity advertising campaign, shot by famous Tom Munro, in a positive and joyful expression, promoting and inviting people to support the “DonorsChoose”, and wearing a piece from the new Frederique Constant Delight Collection.
