Introducing: The Updated Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture
The Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture debuted in 2016. At that time, it was the most affordable perpetual calendar wristwatch on the market. Now the brand has made some welcome updates to it, so let’s take a look.
Frederique Constant is a brand that always brings value when it comes to perpetual calendars. The Highlife is a fan favorite and an impressive watch that we have discussed here at Fratello before. Today, the FC is giving customers another attractive option in the realm of perpetual calendars while introducing a new caliber. Let’s dive in.
Frederique Constant’s Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture
The Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture is an interesting watch. It offers a perpetual calendar at just shy of the €10,000 mark — €9,995, to be precise. This pricing is similar to the Highlife, but the watch provides a different aesthetic.
Frederique Constant is releasing this watch with a 40mm case, marking a 2mm decrease from previous versions and reflecting the recent trend of smaller watches. In addition, it houses the new manufacture caliber FC-776. This is Frederique Constant’s 34th caliber developed in-house. While it shares much with the preceding FC-775, including the layout, 4Hz frequency, and 26 jewels, it has nearly double its predecessor’s 38-hour power reserve, offering a healthy 72 hours instead.
A rich dial for the Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar
The 40mm case offers a commendable 12.1mm thickness, including its convex antireflective sapphire crystal. It also has a 50m water resistance rating and a sapphire-equipped display case back to allow a nice view of the caliber underneath. The dial comes in a fan-favorite salmon color, which truly brings out the complications. There is sunray finishing on the dial, which has applied silver-tone diamond-cut indexes and hand-polished hour and minute hands.
Moving on to the complications, we find the date sub-dial at 3 o’clock, a moonphase display at 6, a day sub-dial at 9 o’clock, and finally, the month and leap-year-cycle indicators at 12. Each sub-dial is very slightly stepped and displays concentric graining, adding a subtle degree of texture to the composition.
Concluding thoughts on the Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar
Frederique Constant has made a name for itself helping democratize the perpetual calendar, usually the reserve of a higher tier of mechanical luxury. It’s impressive that today’s release still sits beneath the €10,000 mark when one considers the recent impact of inflation on watches and price increases more generally.
The new Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture (ref. FC-776SAL3H6) takes 20mm straps, which means a multitude of options won’t be a problem. I quite like this watch, and I’m once again impressed by Frederique Constant. Bravo to the brand for pursuing these designs while trying to keep prices sensible.
What do you think of this release and Frederique Constant in general? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
