Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Frederique Constant Highlife Perpetual Calendar Rose Gold
An 18k rose gold edition powered by Frederique Constant’s affordable FC-775 movement with quantième perpetuel
There are a few reasons that underscore why Frederique Constant watches appeal to a universal audience of collectors. One; the Geneva watch company manufactures affordable timepieces. Two; it creates its own complication movements (for said affordable prices). Three; it has ventured into the sports watch genre, daring to put its own twist on the archetypal aesthetic of the collectable sports watch. The launch of the new Highlife collection earlier this year is testament to this. The range encompassed a chronometer three-handed, a Heartbeat variation and an accessible QP in steel, powered by the in-house FC-775 (with an internally developed quantième perpetuel module). Now, Frederique Constant releases another Highlife Perpetual Calendar watch, powered by the same movement but this time, limited to 30 pieces and executed in an 18k rose gold and blue colourway.
The evolution of the Frederique Constant Highlife watch
The original Frederique Constant Highlight watch was released in 1999. Now, it features a redesigned case and a deep blue dial decorated with an unmistakable globe pattern, adding to its distinct look. The design of the new 41mm Frederique Constant Highlife symbolises the perfectly round shape of the earth – a shape that defined the entire case of the original 1999 model, but can still be appreciated in the new model’s polished 18k rose gold bezel. A barrel-shaped case now represents the new Highlife Perpetual Calendar watch. The inspiration behind the design is a message of sustainable and sensible living, and subsequently, protection of the planet. The new model has kept its integrated strap, in line with the codes of the category, for a more ergonomically-optimized fit against the wrist. Furthermore, its blue nubuck finish alligator strap can be changed to a rubber or alternative leather band without the need for any tools.
The Highlife Perpetual Calendar in rose gold
The new 18k rose gold case of the Frederique Constant Highlife Perpetual Calendar features a mix of polished and satin-finished surfaces. The globe-patterned blue dial presents a sun-brushed finish and snailed sub-dials at 3, 9 and 12 o’clock denoting the date, the day and a month & leap year respectively. The 6 o’clock location is occupied with a gold-coloured moonphase indicator to match the material of the luminous-coated central hands and the stick hour markers, protected under an anti-reflective sapphire glass front.
In 2016, Frederique Constant developed the FC-775 – its first affordable and easy-to-manufacture perpetual calendar movement that automatically took care of the different days of each month, leap years, and only required manual adjustment every 100 years. Complete rhodium-plated bridges, blued steel screws and circular Geneva striped decoration, the movement can be viewed through the sapphire-backed case of the new rose gold Highlife model, whilst delivering a performance of 28,800vph and a 38-hour power reserve.
Availability & Price
The Frederique Constant Highlife Perpetual Calendar in rose gold is limited to 30 pieces and is priced at EUR 29,995. More information can be found on the new timepiece via Frederique Constant’s official page here.
3 responses
If you think that for less than 800€ more you can get a gold Jaeger LeCoultre perpetual calendar, you can’t help wondering what the target customer for this watch is supposed to be 😅.
@Alessandro
But is the JLC actually better?
@Nikita
‚Better‘ is a difficult word, when it comes to watches. It all depends on what you’re looking for in a timepiece. My point is that the JLC checks many more boxes than this FC, while having the same price (heritage, finishing, expertise, name, movement esthetic, ecc.). And this is at the origin of my question on what they imagined the target customer being.
I personally can only imagine two people who would go for this over the JLC (if forced to choose between the two):
– an hardcore FC fan.
– someone who, for some reason, falls deeply, helplessly and madly in love with the design of this watch.
Probably there are not many such people in the world, which are also able to spend almost 30.000€ on a watch. And this explains the limited edition of 30 pieces.