Everyday Glamor: The Frederique Constant Classics Manchette is Easy to Love

Do you want to know a secret? I hate keeping secrets. That’s why I’m overjoyed to finally share my experience with the release of Frederique Constant’s new Classics Manchette, which I first tried on at Watches and Wonders in April.

This dainty time-only watch took my breath away in Geneva, and I would have included it in my top ten Watchers and Wonders timepieces if it weren’t for this darn embargo.

But it’s here now. I will not hold back.

As much as I’ve wanted to blab about the Frederique Constant Classics Manchette, there isn’t a whole lot to say. It doesn’t take 1,000 words to explain why this watch is awesome.
 

French for “cuff,” most luxury watchmakers – from Audemars Piguet to IWC – offer some sort of high jewelry watch done in the manchette style. However, unlike most luxury watchmakers, Frederique Constant’s place in high-end watchmaking is to provide a more fiscally attainable take on haute horology.
 

In short, the brand has used its codes and ethos to design a jewelry watch that doesn’t follow what other brands are doing in this field.

The watch itself is a tiny, 25.7 x 20mm square set into a flexible, seven-link bracelet. In this case, instead of using noble metals such as gold or platinum, the Classics Manchette is rendered in stainless steel; however, to make the steel feel as rich as gold, the bracelet itself is decorated with a square, not-quite-spiky Clou de Paris pattern.
 

The watch face itself sits like a gem in the bracelet. It is available in four different dials: one diamond-set, two mineral alternatives in malachite and onyx (hardstone dials are hot right now), and a fourth in a matte white steel.
 

All these details lend the Classics Manchette an elevated appearance. Still, in keeping with society’s ever-changing dress codes, these details also provide a touch of glam that will accessorize well with both a “quiet luxury” work wardrobe and Red Carpet-ready formal wear.

Introduced in the 1980s, the Manchette has been absent from Frederique Constant’s catalogs for twenty years. There’s a reason that it is making a comeback now.
 

After five years of work-from-home fashion, there is a thirst for glamour in general. And enthusiasts have plenty of specialized sport watches for diving, driving, and flying, why not have one meant just for being fabulous?

For those who favor jewelry watches, this terrific timepiece also provides no-fuss, no-muss precision thanks to its FC-200 (Base Ronda 1032) quartz movement. Its small size also makes it quite comfortable to wear (besides its 25.7 x 20mm diameter, the piece is only 6.45mm thick). And should you feel like dancing in a fountain, it offers a water-resistance of 3 ATM.
 

Would I prefer it had a mechanical movement? Sure, but fortunately, the Classics Manchette avoids the rest of the “shrink it and pink it” trap of many jewelry watches, making it an excellent option for those who lean into a more minimalist (i.e., not gem-encrusted) jewelry look.
 

For me, the greatest praise comes from the way it wears on the wrist. The lightweight and supple bracelet makes it feel fluid, like an extension of my wardrobe and my personality.

The Classics Manchette is available now and has three price points: $1,395 for the matte white dial, $1,895 each for the malachite and onyx dial options, and $4,295 for the diamond-set dial. For more information, check out the Frederique Constant website.