What better complication for an anniversary than a tourbillon – Frederique Constant celebrates its 35th anniversary with not one but three tourbillon watches. Frederique Constant Classics Tourbillon Manufacture also celebrates fifteen years since the launch of the brand’s first manufacture tourbillon calibre. Again, the brand reveals “affordable luxury” as the motto for a classic timepiece.
For its anniversary, Frederique Constant made the wise choice of going with a very classic case diameter of 39 mm – so loved by collectors and with a 150 pieces limited edition variant in gold and two in steel with a grey dial and, respectively, blue and silver, each limited to 250 pieces, all displaying the sooted complication in a wide aperture at 6 o’clock.
Frederique Constant Classics Tourbillon Manufacture
Frederique Constant is one of the few “younger” brands with a wide set of collections appealing to entry-level collectors that, in time, grew to a large fan base. Offering high-qualitative pieces with attractive prices that follow the “affordable luxury” notion placed Frederique Constant a serious contestant for the older well-established brand with entry-level wristwatches. In a market inundated by microbrands and “one-hit-wonders” companies, the brand offered stability, continuity and, mentioned again, a price attractive for lower-budget collectors. The brand evolved steadily, reaching new highs by introducing manufacture movements and desired complications.
A collector’s desire and delight
The anniversary pieces consist of three pieces manufactured in 39 mm. This dimension is regarded as the maximum size for a dress watch or classic watch. The first version, in gold was launched during Watches & Wonders, followed by the two steel versions at the beginning of May.
For those familiar with the brand, the Classic Tourbillon Manufacture will have all the known elements: a signature design and an excellent price. The new Tourbillon variations complete a Classic anniversary and limited family.
The case has a 3-part construction with a round, convex bezel, a corpulent body and a screw-in case back. On the top, the watch is fitted with a convex crystal. The caseback displays, unobstructed, the manufacture calibre. The watch body is completed with curved lugs with rounded edges. The voluptuous piece sits nicely on the wrist and offers comfortable wear.
The brand’s signature onion crown gives a certain charm. The crown offers a good grip, even if slightly sunken into the case body. The overall case design is balanced and well-proportioned. The highly polished and rounded surfaces reflect the environment with an interesting distortion.
The watch is fitted with an alligator strap and a beautiful clasp. The buckle is designed around the Frederique Constant logo. The clasp is secure and offers fast deployment at need.
A puristic dial
The Frederique Constant Classics Tourbillon Manufacture is presented with a simple dial. A fine brush sunrayed pattern is responsible for the woah effect for the three colours: grey, dark blue and silver. Nine diamond-cut and polished applied metal batons play the role of hour indexes. The watch was fitted with lance hands manufactured using the same diamond-cut process and polishing.
The top side of the dial is decorated with the Frederique Constant Geneve printing – a detail that I have wished to leave aside. Or better replaced with a metallic applied logo – a very good-looking heraldic that would have enriched the dial. The printing, in this case, diminished the puristic design.
A large aperture at 6 o’clock reveals the star of the show – the numbered tourbillon. Fixed using a open cock bridge, the tourbillon is shown in its full splendour. A small steel hand is used as running seconds – a detail that reveals the 1-minute timing.
Colourful details are the silicon escapement wheel and anchor, well visible during the function. Frederique Constant introduced these since its first tourbillon in 2008, showing that they are capable of evolving a 200-year-old design and not just copying. For the owner, the benefits are increased resistance to the adverse effects of magnetism and temperature variations – and thus even more precise, true to the tourbillon’s original vocation.
The yellow balance spring is constructed not only by the silicon components but also by the blued screws and the gilded engraving with the tourbillon number. The open construction also permits a complete view of the complication from the back of the watch.
The FC-980 in-house calibre
As the name suggests, the Frederique Constant Classics Tourbillon Manufacture is powered by an in-house-brewed movement, the calibre FC-980. The automatic movement is timed at 4 Hz and offers a power reserve of 38 hours, a characteristic seen in several of the brand’s movements.
Calibre FC-980 is nicely decorated. Justifying the price, the finishes were industrially executed, but where the brand made sure that the view of the movement is great. The mainplate is decorated with a perlage. The top bridge is adorned with Côtes de Genève and gilded engravings. The visible screws are blued.
The gold-plated rotor is vertically brushed. The name of the brand is present in a positive engraving, along with the “Manufacture” nomenclature – a proud certification of the in-house movement.
Happy birthday Frederique Constant!
It is a brand I have known and respected for many years; also being a fan and owning a few timepieces. I find the price/offering ratio quite good, and the watches deserve attention for their design and selection of complications.
It is nice to see the brand decided to go for the tourbillon as an anniversary movement. Having three variants in gold and steel, one has a wider choice and a bigger chance of having one. With a price centred at 14’495€ RRP for the steel and 25’995 € RRP for gold, the Frederique Constant Classics Tourbillon Manufacture is quite an offering.
Happy birthday Frederique Constant! Keep offering nice watches that most of us can afford.
Frederique Constant Classics Tourbillon Manufacture Technical Specifications
References
- FC-980G3H9 – gold case, grey dial, 25’995 € RRP
- FC-980N3H6 – steel case, blue dial, 14’495€ RRP
- FC-980S3H6 – steel case, silver dial, 14’495€ RRP
Functions
- Hours, Minutes, 60 Seconds tourbillon
Movement
- FC-980 in-house calibre, automatic
- Chamfering (anglage), circular graining (perlage & cerclage), flanks drawing (étirage des flancs), mirror polishing (poli miroir) decorations
- Silicon escapement wheel and anchor
- 38-hour power reserve, 28’800 alt/h, 33 jewels
Case
- Polished rose gold/stainless steel 3-part case
- Diameter of 39 mm
- Height of 10,99 mm
- Scratch-resistant and anti-reflective convex sapphire crystal
- See-through case back
- Water-resistant up to 5 ATM/50m/164ft
Dial
Grey/Blue/Silver colour dial with sunray finishing
Applied diamond cut indexes
Hand-polished gold/silver colour hour and minute hands
Heart Beat opening at 6 o’clock with 60 seconds tourbillon, gold/silver colour second hand
Strap
- Brown/Blue alligator leather strap with matt finishing
About Frederique Constant – LIVE YOUR PASSION!
Founded in 1988, Frederique Constant is a Swiss watchmaking manufacture based in Geneva. In 2023, as it celebrates its 35th anniversary, the brand continues to showcase its constantly advancing watchmaking expertise as it pursues its aim: providing Swiss Made luxury watches at fair prices. Through the decades, Frederique Constant has been characterised by creativity and inventiveness – and even more so by mechanical ingenuity and pragmatism.
Born out of the shared passion of an independent entrepreneurial couple, Aletta and Peter Stas, Frederique Constant has written its own rules, blazing a trail into territory where none had dared venture before. Today the brand can proudly offer a range of quartz and mechanical models – and most importantly, a collection of 30 calibres designed, developed and assembled in its own Manufacture at Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva. These movements include Tourbillon, Perpetual Calendar and Flyback Chronograph complications, along with the Monolithic, a type of escapement never before seen in watchmaking made out of a single piece of silicon, beating at a rate of 40Hz.
The Firm presently has close to 3,000 points of sale in 120 countries. To pursue its international expansion
and develop new synergies, since 2016 the Frederique Constant Group (Frederique Constant, Alpina Watches, Ateliers deMonaco) has been part of the Japanese group Citizen.