At the time, the Dutch couple were living in Hong Kong, a long way from the traditional watchmaking scene. They were convinced of the relevance of their proposition: high-quality Swiss watches, but more affordable than the existing offer. It proved a successful gamble and 35 years later, Frederique Constant is still asserting this horological value "at the right price".
Among the company's most popular creations, the incredible design of the Heart Beat collection made its mark on the sector with new standards in watchmaking. The escapement’s fascinating pulsations were offset to 12 o’clock and made visible through a circular opening on the dial side. The concept was unpatented at the time and spread like wildfire through the industry. In 2004, Frederique Constant celebrated the first decade of this ingenious model with its first Manufacture movement, Caliber FC-910. This was followed in 2006 by the opening of a manufacturing facility in Plan-les-Ouates, in the canton of Geneva, enabling the company to gain even greater control over production, quality and costs – and thus enrich its watches with horological complications, without ever deviating from its initial proposal. Since then, the Maison has designed and assembled its own calibers, of which there are now 31, in-house. The factory's surface area was even extended by a further 3,000sqm in 2019, to reach an appreciable 6,200sqm, synonymous with increased production capacity.
This year marks not only Frederique Constant's 35th anniversary, but also the 15th anniversary of its tourbillon Manufacture FC-980 caliber, which even then featured a major high-tech innovation: a silicon escape-wheel and pallet-lever. For this double celebration, the Classic Tourbillon Manufacture boasts a neoclassical design trimmed down to a 39mm diameter. An exclusive rose gold version is available in a 150-piece series, along with 350 each of two other steel variations respectively featuring a sunburst silver-toned or midnight-blue sunburst dial. The dial stages a spectacular show thanks to the tourbillon visible at 6 o'clock. The transparent caseback reveals finishes inherited from the great Swiss watchmaking tradition – chamfering, circular graining, hand-drawn flanks and mirror polishing. For Frederique Constant's future lies as much with the general public as with collectors, as it develops ever more refined aesthetics and finishes.
Classic Tourbillon Manufacture
Case: polished stainless steel, convex anti-reflective sapphire crystal, transparent caseback, water-resistant to 50m.
Size: 39mm
Movement: Manufacture self-winding Caliber FC-980, 38h power reserve, silicon escape-wheel and pallet-lever, 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations/hour)
Functions: hours, minutes, 60-second tourbillon
Dial: sunburst silver-toned or sunburst midnight blue
Strap: matt-finish blue alligator leather
350-piece limited series
