Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Frederique Constant Celebrates 10 Years of Travel with New Classics Worldtimer Manufacture
Complex, nicely designed, and not getting old after a decade.
Presented in 2012, the Frederique Constant Classics Worldtimer Manufacture quickly imposed itself on a niche market as one of the rare accessible alternatives. But despite a fair price, this World-Time watch by FC does everything you’d expect it to do, and in style. Elegant, well-designed, mechanically interesting with a clever manufacture movement, it celebrates 10 years and yet still feels fresh as new. Today, the Classics Worldtimer Manufacture is released in two 10-Year limited editions, one in pink gold and one in stainless steel, both playing on blue vibes, and bearing some elements of the brand’s history.
Note: in addition to being classically commercialized, the Classics Worldtimer Manufacture enters the NFT world, to celebrate this anniversary in a befitting way. Frederique Constant has decided to take a new path by offering its emblematic model a journey into the future, as the Classics Worldtimer Manufacture has become an NFT (Non-Fungible Token, a digital asset inside a contract drawn up in a blockchain). The creation of exclusive NFTs of the Classics Worldtimer Manufacture will be entrusted to Rarecubes, a Geneva-based studio specialised in blockchain technology. More details will soon be available on the brand’s website.
Back to the watches, in a very tangible way. The Classics Worldtimer Manufacture was presented in 2012 and has been developed by the brand’s Technical Director & Master Watchmaker Pim Koeslag, with ease of use, functionality and rationality in mind – the latter being the reason behind the accessible prices of FC. Following several traditional and limited editions of this watch, the brand celebrates its 10th anniversary with a steel and a pink gold model, both coloured in deep blue.
The dial classically represents a world map, executed in blue as a node to the oceans, while lands are discreetly done in grey. All elements of the dial, hand and applied indexes, are filled with SLN ensuring great contrast, even at night. Centrally mounted hands indicate the hours, minutes and seconds, a white disc displaying 24 cities frames the dial, a rotating 24h disc indicates the time of the world and, in a clever and rather surprising way, the date is indicated by a small counter at 6 o’clock floating above the dial.
Both models are housed in 42mm x 12.15mm cases, entirely polished, sandwiched in sapphire and water-resistant to 30 metres. They are worn on a navy blue alligator strap with a folding buckle. One is done is stainless steel, with silver-coloured hands and markers. The other one is encased in 18k pink gold with matching dial elements.
Speaking about the functions of the watch, the Frederique Constant Classics Worldtimer Manufacture does everything you’d expect from such a watch, and all the complications are adjusted in a simple way by the crow, with a three-notch system. The first winds the watch. The second adjusts the date (upwards) and the reference city (downwards). The third adjusts the time in the central display. This allows on-the-move adjustments when travelling. Powering this display is the brand’s classic manufacture movement, an automatic engine with 4Hz frequency and 38h power reserve. Visible on the back, it is decorated with circular stripes, blue screws and a gold-coloured opened rotor.
Availability & Price
The Frederique Constant Classics Worldtimer Manufacture 10 Years is a limited edition in steel of 1,888 pieces, priced at EUR 3,895, or 88 pieces in 18k pink gold, priced at EUR 16,995. For more details and online orders, please visit frederiqueconstant.com.
5 responses
I like so many things about FC’s world timers, particularly the Highlife models, but unfortunately there’s one glaring flaw that I just can’t ignore… why does the date subdial block so much of the world time ring?
For example, I live in Sydney but need to check UK time daily for phoning family. Unfortunately, the UK time is blocked by the subdial, which makes the watch useless for me.
Such a shame because it does so many other things so well.
As the owner, and flipper, of quite a few FCs – currently with a Highlife 3 hander in the box – I do have an affinity with the brand… however…
This movement presentation really needs updating. It’s arguably worse in the Highlife where you have the stylistic clash of 70s case, modern world timer, and Victorian date wheel.
I’ve previously owned a Classic Manufacture with this case, and found it an ungainly thing on my 8″ wrist – the lugs turn down aggressively, and case sides are oddly bulbous – makes it feel like its wearing you.
FC are frustratingly good at almost getting things right.
FC’s always nice and stainless at an affordable price.
Seems that in FCs world Florida has a direct connection to South America 🙂
Agree with Chris, the date sub dial is just too obtrusive and impacts the usability of the watch. I had one for a bit but sold it after the frustration of the time zone i was looking for being buried boiled over.
The watch bands also are too stiff and never quite break in.
FC design just frustratingly almost there.