Frédérique Constant Junior - Why Wait to Give Him His First Luxury Watch
by Marco Gagliano on February 24, 2010
tagged as: reviews watches junior frederique constant
It is natural for fathers to want the best for their sons. When it comes to watches, a high-quality Swiss timepiece has often been too expensive to justify as a gift for a young man, even though many companies offer specifically suitable models. Traditionally, mid-size watches, which are smaller then the full, man sizes yet still considerably larger then woman's, have served the young market segment. But often these mid-size models are as expensive as their full-size counterparts. This probably explains why most young people's first high-end watch is handed down from their parents. If you are not quite ready to hand over your luxury watch however, Frédérique Constant revealed a new watch that targets young watch lovers and is priced accordingly to their tumultuous and dynamic lifestyles. A Frédérique Constant Junior is a good introduction to luxury watches for any young watch lover and, thanks to high quality Swiss manufacturing, will last for future generations as well.
The stainless steel case is 38mm in diameter, which is just below what you would expect from a modern watch for men. While the watch is intended for "young gentlemen 12-16 years of age," I see grown men wearing watches this size often. Other grown-up features of the Junior include a sapphire crystal and Frédérique Constant's automatic-winding FC 303 calibre movement. The movement's balance wheel and rotor are visible through a sapphire window on the back of the case. This mechanism is indeed a serious machine, based on ETA's infamous, 25-jewel 2824-2.
The style of the watch is classic and based on the sporty look of the race-oriented Healy Automatic. Photo-luminescent paint is applied to the hands and numerical hour markers. The leather strap is hand stitched and is black to match the black dial or light brown with the white dial. The style is simple and does not boast the true luxury of the watch. Thanks to its timeless style and superior quality, an FC Junior will surely be around for the next generation to enjoy.
The Frédérique Constant Junior is conceived to be an important, and meaningful gift for a young man. It can commemorate a milestone or carry a symbolic message with a personalized engraving on its case back, and high-end Swiss manufacturing assure that it will be enjoyed for many years.
Visit Frédérique Constant's Junior mini-site to design your own FC Junior. To leave comments on this and all our blog posts, visit the Matt Baily facebook fan page.
Review - Frédérique Constant Ladies Automatic Love Heart Beat
by Marco Gagliano on January 19, 2010
tagged as: ladies watches frederique constant reviews
In the past few years there has been an increase of mechanical, luxury ladies watches. An growing number of women appreciate the fine aspects of a Swiss mechanical movement as much as the fashion and jewellery aspects of watches. In order to distinguish a mechanical watch from quartz, companies have often placed an aperture on the dial to demonstrate parts of the mechanism underneath. Frédérique Constant is one of the several companies to have played with this feature by shaping the aperture or integrating it in the design of the dial. The Frédérique Constant Ladies Automatic Love Heart Beat for instance, uses the round window in place of the O in the word love that is inscribed on the watch's dial with diamonds.
In their press communication, Frédérique Constant actually refers to the word as "Love," due to the size of the first two letters on the watch dial. The L and O are capitalized in order to accommodate the opening at Twelve o'clock. Through this aperture, we are offered a glimpse at the automatic movement. Diamonds are hand set along the lines of the letters and balance really well with the iridescence of the dial's mother of pearl. More diamonds are used for the hour markers. A nice touch that many will appreciate is a tiny heart pattern displayed in the centre of the watch's face.
The quality of the diamonds is high. Although small, each diamond is a full cut round brilliant. The colour and clarity of the stones is not only very well matched, but the diamonds are impressively clear and display near colourless to colourless quality. While this quality is common in similar luxury products in higher price brackets, it is not the case for those in the same class as the FC Automatic Love Heart Beat.
Seen through the "Love" window is the heart of the automatic FC-310HG-2 calibre movement, its balance wheel. When in motion, the balance wheel oscillates at a frequency of 4 Hz, causing the seconds hand to tick eight times per second and evoking the famous sweep-seconds visual effect of self-winding watches. Upon close inspection, it is possible to see how the movement's bottom plate was cut out to allow for a view of the balance wheel and polished with a beautiful brushed perlage finish.
At first glance the Frédérique Constant Ladies Automatic Love Heart Beat is a beautifully decorated fashion accessory, but looking through the aperture on its dial it is evident that its beauty is not only skin deep. Diamonds, silk, and a sapphire cabochon on the crown are in perfect balance with the fine Swiss mechanical workmanship that lies within. For a woman that believes that fashion goes hand in hand with quality, value, and longevity, the Love Heart Beat is the perfect match.
To comment on this or any other post on the Baily Blog, we invite you to visit our facebook fan page
Review of Frédérique Constant Maxime Manufacture Automatic
by Marco Gagliano on January 5, 2010
tagged as: frederique constant reviews
Frédérique Constant has set themselves apart from other luxury watch brands in its class. During its young history, the company has reached several plateaus of excellence such as the ability to conceive and manufacture mechanical movements entirely in-house. While this earns them a prestigious spot amongst so-called "Manufacture" brands, their prices don't reflect the moniker and the company's reputation for great value persists. The Frédérique Constant Maxime Manufacture is the a perfect example of the top quality and value offered by the FC collection of watches.
The Maxime Manufacture gets its name from its FC 700 calibre automatic movement, as the mechanism is conceived and manufactured entirely at the Frédérique Constant facilities in Geneva. It offers basic hour, minute, and date functions, but FC designers added their own personal twist by displaying the date via a small hand placed at six o'clock instead of the usual rotating ring. The finishing of the mechanism's bridges and plates is what you would expect from the more prestigious luxury manufacturers. Curved "Côtes de Genève" decorate a beautifully, moon-shaped wheel bridge that puts into evidence the balance wheel. Fine "perlage" is applied to the other visible bridges and the balance cock, and blued screws are used to secure the whole. The rotor's body is cut out in order to offer a continuous view of all the movement's parts. Composing the outside edge of the rotor of a dense tungsten/copper alloy, and employing a bi-directional winding system are two features that ensure that the watch winds itself effectively. Decorative details such as engraved, burnished markings are also well appreciated.
The Maxime Manufacture is available in stainless steel or two-tone with an 18 karat rose gold bezel. The case embodies a traditional style. Simple and elegant with a rounded bezel and a convex sapphire crystal. As with the movement, a lot of importance is put on the finishing. The bezel is polished to a high gloss and the side of the case decorated with a brushed satin finish and polished bevelling. As can be expected, the watch doesn't fare too well in the water. A water resistance rating of 5 ATM is accorded to the timepiece. A screw locking crown is fitted non-the-less to the case as a protective feature.
The world's most beautiful timepieces are those who offer unexpected, small details highlighting the quality of manufacturing. The Maxime Regulator has captured this concept fantastically, and the back of its case is a perfect example. The back is fitted with a sapphire crystal to show off Frédérique Constant's in-house FC-700 movement, which is obviously - and rightly so - a great source of pride for the company. This leaves a ring of steel on which to mark the watch's characteristics and names. To do so, the designers use three different finishing techniques and a wonderful way of negatively engraving the lettering. By removing the metal around the letters a bas-relief is created; juxtaposing the bright, glossy finish of the markings with the soft, sand blasted texture below.
The face of the Maxime Manufacture that the world sees on your wrist is quietly elegant, and it only hints at the intricacies found beneath. The white, silvered dial is simply marked only with the company's name. Apart from the unusual way that the date is displayed, the dial does not brag about its superior manufacture movement. Sun-burst and hobnail patterns combine with applied steel or gold markers give the dial some relief. The elegant alpha hands are treated with photo-luminescent paint. The strap that is fitted on the watch is black or brown, semi-gloss alligator and is shaped to contour the case perfectly. A deploying folding clasp allows for easy release and protects the strap from wear.
Frédérique Constant released the Maxime Manufacture at last year's Basel Fair. It is a symbol of the company's dedication to creating high-quality and exclusive luxury watches without removing themselves from what they call the "accessible luxury segment" of watch brands. Features such as the FC 700 in house movement and fine workmanship of the Maxime will appeal to many watch enthusiasts and collectors, while its price point makes the piece also accessible to more prudent first-time buyers and value seekers. Overall, the Geneva manufacturer created a gorgeous, traditional watch that is amongst the best watches to pass under the radar in 2009.
Would you like to comment on this post? You can in the Notes tab of our facebook page.
