Frederique Constant Celebrates 35 Years With Two New Highlife Worldtimers

Frederique Constant celebrates 35 years in business in 2023, making that year a landmark one. This latecomer entered a crowded market already dominated by well-known brands, but it has maintained a level of consistency that is unusual for the industry, and as a result, it has won over consumers everywhere. To celebrate the beauty of this ongoing saga, the Manufacture has released two new Highlife Worldtimer Manufacture watches: one in 18-karat rose gold with a limited release of 35 pieces, and another in steel with a chocolate-colored dial available in an unlimited edition. Both variations feature a diameter of 41mm and will come with either one or two additional, interchangeable straps.

Dual timepieces for a single anniversary

Exactly 35 years ago, two enterprising young men began their careers in the watch industry with the goal of making the high-quality work of Swiss-made watchmakers affordable for everyone. Like this, Frederique Constant entered the world. From its humble beginnings in Geneva, the company has come a long way to become a full-fledged, internationally recognised manufacturer with deep ties to the city.

Frederique Constant is releasing two new iterations of its Highlife Worldtimer Manufacture to mark this remarkable journey. In just three short years, the Highlife collection has become Frederique Constant's signature offering, symbolising the company's ascent to the top of the watchmaking industry.

An exclusive timepiece

Collectors who have come to expect occasional exceptional commemorative creations to appear in highly limited editions will be thrilled to know that the first of these Highlife Worldtimer Manufacture variations is an anniversary edition par excellence, consisting of only 35 watches made with 18-carat rose gold.

The case of this highly modern timepiece is multifaceted, allowing the precious metal to shine through in all its shimmering glory; the Manufacture has further emphasised this effect by contrasting the brushed case with a polished bezel and crown.

The dial of this limited edition by Frederique Constant is a pale petroleum blue, just translucent enough to show off the subtle shadings of the Earth symbol and the lines of latitude and longitude engraved on it, as well as the sunray finish on the date disc located at 6 o'clock. The three central hands representing the hours, minutes, and seconds are a matching gold colour, and the luminous appliqué hour markers complete the look. The Worldtimer features a double disc: the outer disc is marked with 24 cities denoting 24 time bands, and the inner disc displays the time in each reference city. The hands are carefully proportioned to give pride of place to the outer disc. The wearer will be able to easily tell the difference between night and day thanks to the blue and white colour scheme.

The watch comes with a blue rubber strap and a blue alligator leather strap with a nubuck finish, making it possible to switch between the two without removing the watch from its case. The second, unlimited reference in the 'chocolate-colored' variant that is being unveiled today has the same features as the original, with three key differences. To begin, the case is made of steel, making it ideal for modern, urban settings. Second, the strap and worldtimer are a dark chocolate brown, while the dial centre is a slightly lighter brown.

In addition to the standard brown alligator leather and black rubber straps, this variant also includes a polished, brushed steel 3-link strap.

Travel the world in a Manufacture-esque fashion

This timepiece is driven by a Manufacture FC-718 automatic calibre that features a ballet of gears and is backed by a 38-hour power reserve. Reliable and easy to use, the crown is used to adjust all of the watch's indicators, a feature made possible by a clever three-notch design. To wind the watch, use the first notch. The second one determines the starting date and the base city (going downwards). The third adjusts the time shown in the dashboard.