Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Frederique Constant Updates The Classics Heart Beat Manufacture
The open heart display watch by FC gets a new case, new dials and other touch-ups.
When Frederique Constant first made the decision to scale down the use of outsourced movements and start developing its own manufacture movements, the first calibre that came to light was the FC-910. This debuted in 2004 in the Frederique Constant Classics Heart Beat Manufacture, a cult collection within Frederique Constant’s arsenal. As its name suggests, this had a particular comma-shaped aperture in the dial to reveal the movement’s escapement, its beating heart. This quickly became a signature display for FC and has been updated several times since its introduction. This year, however, the Frederique Constant Classics Heart Beat Manufacture receives a drastic makeover giving it an even more traditional look.
The watch is presented in both stainless steel and 18k rose gold, with a refreshed case design in very modest dimensions. At 39mm in diameter and 10.39mm in height, this will feel at home on just about any wrist. The size is a departure from the previous 42mm models and a return to the diameter first used for an open heart watch by FC in 1994 (with an outsourced movement). The fully polished cases come with the trademark onion-shaped crown and have a convex sapphire crystal on top with a sapphire crystal caseback.
The Frederique Constant Classics Heart Beat Manufacture also comes with an updated dial. Gone is the comma-shaped aperture, as Frederique Constant has now chosen a more classical circular opening that integrates with the central axis and is finished with a bevelled edge. The blued central hour and minute hands point to railroad-style tracks printed in black. Sandwiched between the two tracks are printed Romain numerals. The inside hour track is slightly raised to give the dial more sense of depth.
Frederique Constant has implemented the calibre FC-930-3 for this latest version of the Classics Heart Beat Manufacture. This direct descendent of the FC-910 introduced in 2004 is an automatic time-only movement. It has 26 jewels, runs at a rate of 28,800vph (4Hz) and provides 38 hours of power reserve. The decorations include an openworked contrasting gold-coloured rotor, blued screws, perlage and Côtes de Genève.
The Frederique Constant Classics Heart Beat Manufacture is worn on a brown or black alligator leather strap (depending on the material of choice) with a folding buckle that includes the openworked Frederique Constant logo. The stainless steel version is limited to 930 pieces and retails for CHF 3,995, with the rose gold version being limited to just 93 pieces and costing CHF 16,995.
For more information, please visit Frederique-Constant.com
3 responses
Wow. So beautifully executed.
Who seriously would buy that watch with a plain printed dial and an open escapement for those kind of prices? I’ve seen far more intricate and better looking watches on AliExpress for a fraction of the price with reliable and accurate Seiko movements. Unless you’re a watch snob and must have ‘Swiss Made’ on the dial there’s nothing to recommend those overpriced undesirable watches whatsoever.
I absolutely love how far this watch company has come over the years. They’ve done almost everything right and went from cheap entry level Swiss watches that resembled a lot of other watches to a in-house manufacture Swiss luxury watch company. They make some great looking and finished watches with a really good looking movement for the price. Now they have a big company behind them and alot more capital to play with since being bought and it’s helping big time.just to think they went from basic off the shelf Swiss movements to in house tourbillons and fly back chronographs. Keep up the good work!