![]() ![]() The “hunter-style” back is a reference to old pocket watches, giving the watch a decidedly early 20th century feel. Popping it open with your finger nail reveals a wide display window showing off the absolutely gorgeous movement within, as well as the perlage finishing on the inside of the cover. Upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that there is a hinge on one side, and a small flange on the other. Hand winding, conversely, is easy.įlipping the watch over, you are met with a fairly plain piece of steel with a couple of etched markings. My one gripe is that it’s a bit hard to pull out, so you need to dig a finger nail under it to make pop out of home position. Onion crowns can get a bit ornate for my taste, and also a bit uncomfortable, when they are large. It fits the classic style of the watch, and I was glad to see it was relatively small. The crown is onion-style, measuring about 6 x 4mm. That said, the watch looks good enough as is. While fitting of the style, some brushing would have been nice, particularly on the tops of the lugs. The case is polished all around, which might actually make it look a bit smaller too (gloss and black tend to do that). More over, part of the thickness is thanks to the hunter case-back, a detail I particularly love. It is, but once again, the smoothness of the sides makes it look and feel less so. ![]() The mid-case, bezel, sapphire and case back all elegantly curve, creating very attractive fluid surfaces that belie the 40mm diameter. The design, as the name indicates, is classic in styling with thick, near straight lugs coming out of a rounded case. Apart from that, the design itself offers a very attractive option in the under $5k market, so let’s take a closer look.Ĭoming in at 40.5 x 47 x 12.77mm (to top of sapphire), the Classic Moonphase is a robust dress/formal watch that wears a bit smaller than expected. As such, it might just be the option for those turned off by the former’s size. The Classic Moonphase comes in at a more palatable 40.5mm, but wears even smaller due to various design details. While I found it still wore very well, the notion of a 42mm dress/formal watch with a very large dial is understandably a bit concerning. While the watch was a winner, one of the complaints a lot of people had about it was the 42mm diameter. The last time we reviewed an FC it was the spiritual cousin of this watch, the Slimline Moonphase, which used a similar movement, and achieved high points for style and finish. It also showed off an eye-catching flip-open case back, which gave it some unexpected panache. Coming in just below $4k, the watch offered a lot of value for an in-house movement, and an aesthetic that often costs an arm and a leg to obtain. Staying true to the brand’s philosophy of creating accessible luxury timepieces, the watch boasted a new in-house caliber (more of a variation, to be picky) and a decidedly Patek-y look for a relatively low price point. Coupled with the rapid oscillation, this gives the watch an unusually high level of precision, while the silicium guarantees optimum protection.įrederique Constant's extensive watch collection includes the Heart Beat Manufacture (with in house movements), the Maxime Manufacture Automatic, Ladies Automatic, Runabout, Index, Vintage Rally, Junior (aimed at teenagers), Delight, Classics, Slim Line, Carree, Persuasion and Art Deco.įrederique Constant is known for delicate rounded cases that require many hours of hand polishing.When Frederique Constant released the Classic Moonphase a few months ago, it seemed to turn a lot of heads. ![]() In April 2008, Frederique Constant established itself as one of Switzerland’s leading watch brands with the creation of a tourbillon with a silicium escape-wheel and, for the first time, an amplitude of over 300 degrees between its vertical and horizontal positions. The FC Heart Beat implements new high tech materials to create better, more precise and more reliable mechanical watches. In February 2007, Frederique Constant began production of the Silicium escapement wheel (first introduced to the industry by Patek Philippe in 2005.) Frederique Constant introduced the Heart Beat Calibre FC 935 Silicium in October 2007. The company produces over 120,000 watches annually. The company was established in its current form in 1988 by Aletta Bax and Peter Stas and is involved in all the stages of watch production, from initial design to final assembly. Frederique Constant SA is a luxury wristwatch manufacturer based in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva. ![]()
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