Frederique Constant Classic Worldtimer Manufacture Limited Edition
A Closer Look At Frederique Constant’s 2020 Novelties
A new worldtimer, a flyback chronograph, the latest smartwatch technology, and Art Déco-inspired ladies’ timepieces lit up our computer screens this week for Frederique Constant’s grand 2020 unveiling. Let's talk about them.
By Sophie Furley
Contributor
Online watch presentations are becoming part of our daily lives as brands turn to digital to unveil their new timepieces. And Watchonista is tuned in to them all to bring you all the latest news.
Niels Eggerding, Managing Director of Frederique Constant, was the host of the show and presented the new pieces to the camera like a television pro, taking us through the models and new developments of the brand. Let’s take a closer look.
Frederique Constant Vitality
The big news for 2020 is a brand-new smartwatch called Vitality. This is the fourth smartwatch produced by Frederique Constant. The first, called the Horological Smartwatch, came out in 2015 and was the first Swiss smartwatch to feature a classical Swiss watchmaking aesthetic. The Notify was presented in 2016, and the Classic Hybrid Manufacture followed in 2018 – this was also the first manufacture mechanical movement to incorporate intelligent functionalities.
Frederique Constant is back this year with another supercool smartwatch innovation – the Vitality. From the outside, the new Vitality looks like a refined classical timepiece with its Roman numerals and hand-polished hands, but press the crown, and the dial lights up with a host of customizable information. A long list of data can be accessed on the dial such as activity tracking (steps, calories, and distance covered), a dynamic coach, get-active alerts, a heart rate monitor, sleep monitoring, smart sleep alarms, second time zone, and the last five messages from your favorite apps.
This major development features a transparent dial, allowing the information from a new generation of integrated sensor – made in collaboration with Philips Wearable Sensing – to shine through on-demand. Like its predecessors, the Vitality connects to the Frederique Constant Smartwatch app (available for iOS and Android) that can configure the display so you can access the information that is most important to you.
The collection is available for both men and women, with the 42mm version having a power reserve of 11 days, and the 36mm model featuring a seven-day power reserve. We will be testing this timepiece later this summer, so stay tuned for more information very soon.
Flyback Chronograph Manufacture
Due to high demand from Frederique Constant collectors, this year, the brand presented two new variations of its Flyback Chronograph Manufacture.
Powered by Frederique Constant’s FC-960 in-house flyback chronograph movement, these new timepieces come with two new color options. The first comes in a 42mm rose gold case and features a chocolate-colored dial with silvered chronograph counters. The second comes in stainless steel with a blue dial and silvered counters. These two-tone dials are not only elegant but increase the sporty aesthetic of these sought-after flyback chronographs.
A Classic Worldtimer Manufacture Limited Edition
The Classic Worldtimer Manufacture is one of Frederique Constant’s best-selling timepieces with its in-house Caliber FC-718 that offers fool-proof setting via the crown. During the presentation, Frederique Constant unveiled a new 18-carat rose gold version, a first for the watchmaker. This new model comes with an intense blue dial and gray continents that sit above the dial in relief. Like with previous models, the 24 world time zones and their 24 principal cities are positioned on a ring that is actually part of the movement and not the dial, as you would expect. To ensure the dial can be easily read, the 12 daytime hours appear in red, and the 12 night-time hours appear in gray. The collection is limited to 88 pieces.
Classics Art Déco Round
Last but not least, Frederique Constant revealed a new collection of Classics Art Déco with a round case design and a quartz movement. The collection was first presented in an oval case and has remained an extremely popular timepiece in the Frederique Constant collection for ladies. This new Classics Art Déco Round comes with a slighted curved case so that it sits perfectly on the wrist, and it comes with a host of new design touches. The dial features hand-polished Breguet-style hands, a guilloché dial, and Roman numerals, accentuating the elegance of the collection.
Three of the five new models combine this guilloché motif with a mother-of-pearl outer dial and are available in a stainless steel or rose gold-plated case. Each dial comes with its own strap in steel, plated rose gold, or blue satin. Two of the models come with diamond-set lugs in addition to a cabochon crown. Since 2013, the Classics Art Déco Round collection has been seducing the ladies, and this new collection will surely continue to catch their eye.
More To Come
These new timepieces are just a portion of what Frederique Constant has planned for 2020, so stay tuned for more new products coming out in the Fall when, hopefully, we can all go and see them in-store.
(Images provided by Frederique Constant)
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