Frederique Constant FC-716S3H6 Classic Moonphase Date 40mm

Frederique Constant FC-716S3H6 Classic Moonphase Date 40mm

Frederique Constant’s flagship Classic Moonphase Date Manufacture is restrained, elegant and contemporary, staying true to its traditional DNA even as the collection expands to include three new 40mm variations endowed with the new Classic steel case. Designed for everyday wear – and for all lovers of Geneva’s watchmaking heritage – the timepieces feature a new, uncluttered sunburst dial, sporting delicate hands powered by a new FC-716 movement. Developed in-house, the latter boasts a 72-hour power reserve. The Classic Moonphase Date Manufacture is so reliable that its performance is now guaranteed for five years.

MANUFACTURE

The new FC-716 Manufacture caliber has been fitted with a brand-new barrel providing a three-day power reserve – 72 hours in all. The high-precision movement beats at a rate of 4Hz, meaning it is better able to withstand day-to-day challenges, returning swiftly to regular oscillations after any disturbance.

It’s been said that ‘watchmaking is the daughter of astronomy’, and these three pieces, all housed in a 40mm case, are perfect illustrations of that assertion: both those foundations of horology are evident on their minimalistic dials. The radiant silver grey dial of this timepiece features a ‘railtrack’ minute circle and an onion-shaped crown at three o’clock. A single window at six o’clock brings together two complications in one display, the moonphase and the date. The two are closely interrelated: the moon completes one cycle of phases across its star-studded background in precisely 29.5 days. The date is indicated by a central hand that travels around a peripheral scale graduated from 1 to 31. Amid this starry firmament, the shorter time marked out for each passing day and the longer moon phases thus dwell side by side in sweet and poetic astral harmony.

The finishings can be admired through the see-through caseback and the timepiece is set on an alligator strap with navy blue overstitching. Another new feature is that this trio of Classic Moonphase Date Manufacture watches all come with a five-year warranty.