Frederique Constant

About Frederique Constant Watches

A young Swiss watchmaker with a rich heritage, Frederique Constant shines today for its value to new luxury watch owners and in the secondary market. The brand aims to create the highest quality timepieces at the most sensible prices.

After four decades, Frederique Constant remains a go-to brand to find affordable, grail-worthy timepieces. Focused initially on classic dress watches and complications, the brand has diversified its offerings to include smart and sporty pieces catering to a broader audience.

Frederique Constant is a star if you're in the market for a prestigious Swiss watch for the best price.

Frederique Constant History

In 1904, the seed of Frederique Constant was sown when one of the founders' great-grandparents owned a dial-making company. Inspired by this family history, Peter Stas and his wife, Aletta Francoise Stas, founded the brand in 1988, naming it after their ancestors, Frederique and Constant.

Within four years, their vision came to life. They collaborated with skilled Geneva watchmakers to craft their designs using Swiss movements. By 1994, they launched their first collection, the Classics, featuring a signature open dial at 12 o'clock that showcased the captivating movement within.

Frederique Constant debuted at Baselworld in 2000, a major watch industry event. They've played a pioneering role in visible movement designs. The couple's ambition didn't stop there. In 2002, they acquired and revitalized Alpina, a historic Swiss sports watch brand. This move further expanded Frederique Constant's reach.

Their dedication to in-house production came to fruition in 2004 with the launch of their first Manufacture collection. This marked a significant milestone for the brand.

Frederique Constant's innovative spirit continued in 2008. They established Atelier DeMonaco, a subsidiary focused on creating in-house high-end timepieces using exquisite materials.

Their commitment to progress extended beyond mechanical watches. Frederique Constant became the first traditional Swiss watch manufacturer to introduce a smartwatch, demonstrating their ability to adapt to the evolving watch landscape.

This growth mindset attracted the attention of Citizen Holdings, a multi-billion dollar Japanese corporation that acquired the brand in 2016.

Today, Frederique Constant remains a strong family-owned brand with a rich heritage of watchmaking expertise and accessible luxury.

Frederique Constant Collections

Frederique Constant's watch collections are renowned for their affordability and simple, classic designs. From the timeless elegance of Classics to the cutting-edge engineering of Manufacture, each collection boasts a distinct character targeted at a specific audience.

Here's a closer look at what each collection offers to help you find the perfect Frederique Constant watch.

Frederique Constant Highlife

The Highlife collection carries a catalog of modern and active timepieces with different specialties for men and women. Its integrated bracelet, brushed and polished stainless steel construction, minimalist round dial, and edgy case place it among iconic sports watches.

The dial has a distinctive embossed globe pattern in the center. It uses stick markers across model variations.

This collection has versatile designs and materials. You'd find a budget-friendly everyday or exclusive model, from chronographs and open dial Heart Beat style to diamond-embellished timepieces. Ideally, you'll find a Highlife watch catering to those who want either functionality or aesthetics.

Frederique Constant Highlife watches typically have an exhibition case back displaying the movement. They typically use an FC-303 automatic caliber with 38 hours of power reserve.

Frederique Constant Classics

The Frederique Constant Classics collection is a testament to the brand's watchword of making classic luxury timepieces affordable. This collection is inspired by Art Deco designs of the 20th century, seen in both seemingly plain models and eccentric models from the collection.

Standout depictions of the brand's Classics collection are Carree and Art Deco models. The Classics collection also offers simple models with interesting engineering, such as Slimline, Heart Beat, and a Quartz Chronograph.

Classics are essentially simple round-case watches, but typical Art Deco models can be tonneau or barrel-shaped. The go-to material is stainless steel, but you'll find classy models with diamond-studded markers or precious metal casing for folks who want to take things up a notch.

Frederique Constant Manufacture

The Manufacture collection alludes to the world-class engineering prowess and craftsmanship of Frederique Constant. It's an ode to fine watchmaking, accuracy, and pristine finishing with the best value return for the money you can find.

It also boasts the most extensive compilation catalog in the Frederique Constant line. From simple but highly accurate COSC-certified time-only pieces to complex perpetual world timer calendar models, the Manufacture makes a statement of horological class and pizazz.

It's available in many dial colors, from plain skeleton to limited edition iterations. It predominantly comes with a leather strap and an extra rubber strap that guarantees everyday wear.

How Much Do Frederique Constant Watches Cost?

Frederique Constant has carved a well-acclaimed niche in the watch industry by offering accessible luxury. While not the cheapest on the market, their timepieces generally fall within a more attainable range than other high-end Swiss watch brands. Here's a breakdown of the starting prices for some popular models across their collections:

Best Selling Frederique Constant Watches

Frederique Constant offers an extremely diverse range of timepieces, but some models consistently capture the hearts of watch enthusiasts. Here are four of their most popular watches, each with unique features that contribute to their success:

Frederique Constant Highlife (ref. FC-303N4NH6B)

This versatile watch blends sporty elements into its sleek and dressy construction. Most of all, it offers an attractive price point for breaking into the world of high-end Swiss-made watches.

Its integrated bracelet ensures a comfortable fit and offers a clean, unique look. This Highlife model has a stunning blue dial with the signature globe pattern dead center, while the polished silver markers and hands complement the case.

The automatic movement is COSC-certified, guaranteeing accuracy and a healthy 38-hour power reserve.

Frederique Constant Classics Index (ref. FC-303NS5B6)

The Frederique Constant Classics Index (ref. FC-303NS5B6) offers the best of both worlds in price and luxurious simplicity.

It features a 40mm stainless steel case with a prominent lug and is only 10mm thick. This Classics edition has a plain matt white dial and applied indexes, giving it a clean look.

Despite a reserved, dressy look and leather strap pairing, the FC-303NS5B6 is sporty. It has luminous hands and a water resistance of 50mm.

It also uses a mechanical automatic caliber FC-303 with sweeping seconds and 38 hours of power reserve. The Classics Index Automatic has a timeless charm with a subtle blend of vintage and modern design.

Frederique Constant Manufacture Slimline Perpetual Calendar (ref. FC-775PS4S6)

A glance at this watch makes it clear why the watch community loves it. It's a timepiece for those who appreciate complications and want into the "cream of the crop" for less.

Unveiled in 2024, the Slimline Perpetual Calendar features a calendar function that automatically adjusts for leap years. Its skeleton dial displays a moon phase, hours, minutes, day, date, month, and leap year.

Perhaps what's appealing about this piece is its open work and exhibition case back design for those who want to admire the intricacies of the movement powering the complications.

This work of art was produced in only 135 pieces and sold out within months. Also, given the level of engineering at work and the fact that it was done in-house, its price is considered a steal.

Frederique Constant Highlife Automatic Chronograph (ref. FC-391SB4NH6B)

This chronograph model is handy for those who value functionality. Alternatively, it's a grail for fans of the famous panda design.

It features a chronograph function with three black counters over a white background and a black date window to nail the panda effect.

More impressive than the design above is the attention to detail in finishing. The Highlife Chronograph has an intimate seam of polish and brush finish on the case, sides, and bracelets.

Furthermore, its 41mm case has a unique barrel shape, which aligns remarkably with the round dial. The chronograph also has a see-through case back exposing the golden balance wheel of its 60-hour power reserve FC-391 caliber.

Pairing this outstanding beauty with an exceptional affordable pricepont for a "high-end" panda, makes the Highlife chronograph a popular Frederique Constant.

Frederique Constant Movements

All Frederique Constant watch movements are assembled, adjusted, and controlled in-house at its T1 atelier. The brand equips its timepieces with various movements, catering to various preferences and budgets.

The most common movements are the mechanical automatic calibers seen across every collection. It has a power reserve ranging from 38 to 80 hours. The latest self-winding movement is the FC-810 introduced in the Slimline Monolithic Manufacture watch. It features an 80-hour power reserve and an astounding single piece of silicon escapement with a staggering industry-leading frequency of 40hz.

Quartz movements, like the FC-200 with seven jewels, are typically found in Frederique Constant ladies' watches.

Aside from its first in-house movement in 2004, the brand still occasionally uses hand-winding movements, such as the FC-700-PW.

The Swiss brand also has connected (smart) calibers like the hybrid FC-750 used in the Vitality smartwatch.

Frederique Constant Watch Colors

Frederique Constant's color palette reflects its taste in subtle yet extravagant timepieces. Black, silver, and blue reign supreme, offering timeless elegance that complements any style. These core colors ensure the watches remain appropriate for various occasions.

Frederique Constant isn't afraid of a touch of personality, though. Some models carry subtle pops of color like red, sea blue, or orange to hint at vibrancy without overpowering the overall sophistication of the time machine.

For the truly unique, watch out for limited-edition models that might feature even more erratic colorways. Ultimately, Frederique Constant offers a diverse range of styles and color to allow you choose a watch that matches your taste.

Frederique Constant Watch Materials

Frederique Constant builds its timepieces to endure, using only materials that guarantee quality and aesthetics. Stainless steel is the backbone of its collections, offering a perfect blend of durability and affordability coupled with a sleek look to suit everyday and formal dress pairings. In addition, it uses a beautiful mirror-like polished finish and brush finish at crucial angles for durability under wear and tear.

Consequently, the brand also uses titanium for those looking for a lightweight and haute material that still suits active use.

For a touch of luxury, Frederique Constant also makes 18k rose gold, yellow gold, or two-tone material combinations to elevate its timepieces to a precious metal status. You can also find a handful of diamond-encrusted models for gents and ladies.

Protecting the watch face or case back (in exhibition models) of Frederique Constant watches is a sapphire crystal, which provides top-tier scratch resistance. Finally, most Frederique Constant models come with a leather strap (in many colors) or stainless steel bracelet and a complementary rubber strap. Alternatively, some models carry a nylon strap.

Frederique Constant Watch Types

Frederique Constant offers many watch types, with dress watches taking center stage. They feature simple models with clean lines, polished cases, and classic designs to elegant models with complications like moon phase and tourbillon.

The brand also offers many robust, sporty watches, but models from the Highlife collection stand out. It fuses luxury, durability, and functionality with the chronograph, Heart Beat, and world timer models.

Another notable mention is the Frederique Constant Vitality. It's a luxury smartwatch that monitors and displays vitals such as heart rate, steps taken, and more.

Missing from the Frederique Constant catalog are dive watches and grand complications. It offers these watch types through its subsidiaries, Alpina and Ateliers DeMonaco, respectively.

Frederique Constant Watch Complications

The brand's passion for making high-quality watches at sensible prices shows in how well they produce non-time-only pieces.

Classic complications, like moon phases, calendars, big dates, and elaborate dates executed with world-class craftsmanship, go for affordable prices.

The Highlife offers chronograph complications for accurate timekeeping up to 1/5th of a second. Frederique Constant also has a smartwatch (with a traditional watch face) that provides insight into how much you have moved and slept over a period.

Frederique Constant Manufacture models offer the most complicated functions, like a perpetual calendar, flyback tourbillon, world timer, or combinations of several complications. You can find more intense mechanical complications, like a minute repeater, at Frederique Constant's subsidiary brand, Ateliers DeMonaco brand.

Frederique Constant Partnerships & Brand Ambassadors

Frederique Constant hasn't sealed many multinational partnerships like the most popular watch brands. However, it has fastened a number of quality collaborations with important personalities as brand ambassadors.

What sets Frederique Constant apart is its selective endorsements with ambassadors who can tell the brand's story of "living your passion." One such collaboration is with Indian polo master Samir Suhag, which reinforces the brand's commitment to crafting sporty watches for active lifestyles.

Another iconic Frederique Constant partnership was with French DJ and producer, DJ The Avener. They worked together on two hits; limited edition watches with bespoke sound wave pattern dials.

Frederique Constant is also a brand committed to deep charity work. In this light, the brand made Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow its Global Charity brand ambassador. Together, they helped improve education for children.

Buying Frederique Constant Watches

Owning a Frederique Constant watch is an investment in a Swiss machine. If you're in the market for one, Exquisite Timepieces is proud to be the latest authorized dealer of Frederique Constant watches.

You can find the entire Frederique Constant catalog in our store. Enjoy the peace of mind that comes with shopping from our online store, which offers full warranty coverage and free insured shipping to your doorstep.

Visit the Exquisite Timepieces store today to kickstart your journey with Frederique Constant watches.

Caring for Your Frederique Constant Watch

As you may already know, a Frederique Constant watch is a Swiss engineering machine. As such, it needs regular and expert maintenance to maintain its integrity for generations to come.

Frederique Constant recommends servicing its timepiece by a qualified watchmaker every 3-4 years. This service will typically involve an inspection and lubrication by a trained specialist.

To win your trust and confidence in our services, we can order parts quickly from Frederique Constant as an authorized retailer. This helps us complete all repairs and services within shorter timeframes.

To extend the life of your watch between services, avoid exposing it to extreme temperatures or using the leather strap in water.

Frederique Constant FAQ

Is Frederique Constant a luxury watch brand?

Yes, Frederique Constant is considered a luxury watch brand known for its high-quality Swiss-made timepieces at a more accessible price point. It also makes its watches in-house and is one of Geneva's youngest luxury brands producing at scale.

Does Frederique Constant hold value?

Renowned luxury watches, like Frederique Constant, can hold their value well, depending on the specific model and its condition. However, generally, they have a positive resale value in the secondary market.

Is Frederique Constant respected?

Frederique Constant is a respected watch brand known for its quality craftsmanship, use of Swiss movements, and complications offered at affordable prices.

Is Frederique Constant owned by Citizen?

Yes, Frederique Constant was acquired by Japanese multinational Citizen Holdings in 2016.

Find your new Frederique Constant watch with Exquisite Timepieces

Exquisite Timepieces is a proud authorized dealer of Frederique Constant watches. When you shop with us, you can be confident that you are getting a genuine Frederique Constant watch covered by the full manufacturer's warranty.

We also offer free, insured shipping on all Frederique Constant watches to ensure you receive a damage-free watch at your doorstep. When you buy a model above $2,000, your order will come with a complementary winder.

Shop our online shop now, or walk into our Florida boutique to find the perfect Frederique Constant watch. Our knowledgeable and passionate sales staff can help you find a watch that fits your style and budget.