Everyone likes to celebrate special anniversaries, and Frederique Constant is no exception to the rule. The watch company has unveiled a new timepiece called the Highlife Worldtimer Manufacture to mark 35 years of creating luxury watches. Jeremy Webb takes a look at the limited edition timepiece.
Frederique Constant is celebrating 35 years of excellence, and to celebrate, they’ve unveiled a new timepiece, which is available in a variety of colours and materials.
The crème de la crème is the Rose Gold Highlife Worldtimers, and just thirty-five will be made, one for each of the 35 years the brand has been producing its exquisite timepiece.
In addition to the rose gold versions, Frederique Constant is also making them available in steel and unlimited in number. Both are 41mm in diameter and will come with additional interchangeable straps.
Frederique Constant drew its first breath when two young entrepreneurs boldly took their first steps in watchmaking in 1988. They envisioned bringing luxury Swiss watches to a much wider audience, not only the wealthy.
Aletta and Peter Stas started designing a collection of timepieces which launched in 1992. Since the early days, the Geneva-based company has flourished and even reestablished the legendary Alpina watch brand.
The Highlife collection has quickly earned a name for itself as Frederique Constant’s flagship collection, epitomising the rise of the Maison that first brought it into being.
One of the models is highly exclusive as it is 18-carat Rose Gold and targeted to collectors who purposefully purchase commemorative timepieces. Featuring a multifaceted case that has a contemporary look, it showcases the shimmering gleam of precious metal to the full.
With the brushed case, the polished bezel and crown offset each other, with the Manufacture enhancing the interplay of light on the watch.
The 18-carat Rose Gold edition has a petroleum blue dial that has a hue subtle enough to allow the shades engraved on its surface to be revealed. An Earth symbol features on the dial with lines of longitude and latitude.
At the six o’clock position, there is a sunray finish on the date disc; the dial has luminous, gold-coloured appliqué hour markers mirroring the three central hands showing hours, minutes and seconds.
The hands are proportioned deliberately to give pride of place to the worldtimer’s double disc. The external disc features 24 cities denoting 24-time bands, with the internal disc showing the time in each city. Blue and white backgrounds allow you to distinguish between night and day effortlessly.
The Highlife Worldtimer Manufacture has an interchangeable, integrated strap of blue alligator leather with a nubuck finish and is supplied with a blue rubber strap.
The second model, the unlimited ‘chocolate-coloured’ variation, shares features with the 18-carat Rose Gold limited edition, with three main exceptions.
The steel case is suitable for more contemporary, urban wear, and the dominant colour is chocolate brown for the strap and worldtimer, paired with a lighter shade for the dial centre. This variation has three straps, not two, chocolate brown alligator leather with a nubuck finish, the same shade in rubber and a polished, brushed steel 3-link strap.
The Highlife Worldtimer Manufacture uses the FC-718 automatic calibre for power, supported by a 38-hour power reserve. The calibre has been thoroughly tried and tested for reliability; it’s the epitome of simplicity. You set all indications using the crown, which features an ingenious three-notch system.
Winding the watch is done via the first notch, while the second sets the date (going upwards) and the reference city (going downwards). You select the time on the central display using the third notch.
If you would like to find out more about the Frederique Constant Highlife Worldtimer Manufacture or any of the timepieces in its extensive range, please visit www.frederique-constant.com.
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