A Hands-On Introduction To The Frederique Constant Classics Moneta Moonphase

During Geneva Watch Days, Frederique Constant introduced two high-end models with impressive special dials. Only a few weeks later, the brand now unveils a series of three quartz moonphase models in the more affordable segment. This move highlights the wide variety of watches the brand offers. Usually, the mechanical side of things is more relevant to watch enthusiasts. However, after wearing the new Frederique Constant Classics Moneta Moonphase models for a week, I found that there is a surprisingly charming side to them. The design of the three watches is clever and chic, and they would be great for people who love classic dress watches but don’t want to spend a lot of money.

When the new Frederique Constant Classics Moneta Moonphase models landed on my desk, I raised an eyebrow. A quartz watch with a complication is an interesting choice. It’s not a typical pick for enthusiasts of mechanical watches, but these Moneta Moonphase models certainly offer a lot of charm. While they might not be the first choice for most of us here at Fratello, they could very well satisfy people who are looking for an affordable dress watch with a moonphase complication. Let’s find out more about these three new watches.

The Frederique Constant Classics Moneta Moonphase

Let’s zoom in and look at the details of the three watches. All of them feature a 37mm stainless steel case with a 42mm lug-to-lug and 7.65mm thickness. This makes these three watches modest in size and slim in profile.

The classically shaped round case is combined with a small onion-style crown and a fluted inner bezel on the flange underneath the sapphire crystal. It’s an ingenious design solution that we all love at Fratello.

The inner bezel takes inspiration from the fluted edge of a coin, which also gives the watches their name. “Moneta” means coin in several languages, including Russian and Italian. It’s a defining element of the design that most of my Fratello colleagues warmed up to quickly. We all agreed that it gives the watches plenty of character.

Frederique Constant offers the choice of three dial variants. The first is a blue sunray dial combined with applied steel indices and steel dauphine hands. For a bit of extra color, the designers added three gold-colored elements too — the Frederique Constant logo, the circle around the moonphase display, and the “Swiss Made” text.

The second version has a black sunray dial, again with stainless steel indices and hands as well as gold-colored text and markings. These first two versions are fitted with dial-matching dark blue or black calfskin straps with a crocodile pattern.

Lastly, there is a version housing a silver sunray dial with stainless steel indices and hands. Unlike the other two variants, this version has a black logo, a black circle around the moonphase indicator, and “Swiss Made” written in black. It creates a more monochromatic look, but the blue moonphase disc and dark brown crocodile-pattern calfskin strap contrast it nicely. All three versions of the Classics Moneta Moonphase have a distinct presence but look equally classy.

A quartz Ronda movement

Frederique Constant’s FC206 caliber powers all three watches. Based on the Swiss Ronda 706 movement, this quartz movement has five jewels and offers 60 months of battery life. Ronda’s 706 comes in multiple variations, including date and day/date versions. I love that Frederique Constant decided to keep things things simple. All three watches have dauphine hour and minute hands and a moonphase indicator. I found that these elements contributed to an almost serene image when I had the watch on my wrist.

One thing to highlight is that the watch does not have an active seconds hand to show that it is running. So, after you’ve adjusted the time and the lunar phase to their correct positions, the watch is fairly static compared to most others.

But the design ensures that there are plenty of great things to admire when wearing the watch. The attention to detail makes the dial a joy to behold. The sharp finish of the hands and indices, the fluted inner bezel, and the neatly finished moonphase indicator are nicely executed.

Wearing the Classics Moneta Moonphase

Once on the wrist, these watches show their style brilliantly. While they are on the smaller side for my 18.5mm wrist, I’d call them modest rather than too small. In these photos, you will see the silver- and black-dial versions on my wrist, while Nacho is wearing the blue-dial version. As you can probably tell, the watch looks more at home on his 17.5mm wrist. All in all, though, as long as you enjoy the size, the Classics Moneta Moonphase is most definitely charming.

Thanks to the wonderfully simple design, all three watches look handsome. The idea of the fluted inner bezel is clever because it becomes part of the dial design. It is a nice decorative element that keeps the actual dial smaller, but the proportions are spot on. All the different elements are balanced and, stylistically, match each other perfectly. Add the slim profile, and you will understand that it’s a joy to wear these watches. I would try different straps to play around with the looks and find out what works best with informal and formal attire.

Final thoughts on the Frederique Constant Classics Moneta Moonphase

This brings me back to the first question I had when these watches landed on my desk: who are they for? As most of you know, we love quartz watches here at Fratello, so I have nothing against them in principle. But the context of a moonphase dress watch is so tied to mechanical horology that the Classics Moneta Moonphase needed some time to sink in.

The answer to my question is most likely “watch enthusiasts who want a stylish dress watch but do not want to break the bank.” If you usually wear a tool watch and are looking for a dress watch for the few times you need one, this could be a very nice budget option at €1,095.

Why would you pick it over an affordable mechanical option? First, you probably will not find a mechanical dress watch with a moonphase complication for that money. Second, the design of these new watches is fantastic. While we debated the audience for these watches at Fratello, we also agreed that they look phenomenal. With the design, the proportions, and the slim profile, it’s hard to fault the Classics Moneta Moonphase’s looks.

Besides die-hard watch fans, many “regular” watch buyers want a beautiful watch once every few years. I can also see people like that as a target audience. The Classics Moneta Moonphase is a relatively affordable, Swiss-made, and, once again, handsome watch. So there is certainly an audience for these models, and I grew surprisingly fond of them over the last week.

You can learn more about the new Classics Moneta Moonphase on Frederique Constant’s website. Let us know in the comments section which of these new introductions is your favorite.