WATCH & JEWELRY /
SIHH＆BASEL
March 30, 2015
FREDERIQUE CONSTANT | A new chronograph brimming with retro sensibility, resonating with lovers of classic and vintage cars, has arrived.
FREDERIQUE CONSTANT | The Appeal to Classic and Vintage Car Enthusiasts
A New Chronograph with a Retro Sensibility
Has Arrived
Frederique Constant, a rising watch brand from Geneva, is popular worldwide for offering the charm of traditional Swiss watches at reasonable prices. This year, a new chronograph has been released to commemorate the "Beijing-Paris," a long-distance rally event for classic and vintage cars, which the brand has newly announced its sponsorship of.Chronographhas been unveiled.
Reporting and Writing by Yasuto Shibuya
A New "Manufacture" Brand from Geneva
Frederique Constant is highly regarded not only in Europe but also in Japan for its "high-quality Swiss watches that can be enjoyed at a fair price." It is a new brand founded in Geneva in 1988 by Peter Stas, who still serves as CEO, and his wife Aletta Bax. The brand gained popularity with its "Heartbeat" models, which feature a see-through balance wheel, allowing the wearer to visually enjoy the movement of this highly active mechanism. Subsequently, in collaboration with a Dutch technical university, they developed the original mechanical movement "Heartbeat Manufacture" series, incorporating this mechanism from the design stage, and began releasing models equipped with it in 2004. Despite being a young brand, it continues to develop as a genuine watch brand, a "manufacture" capable of developing, manufacturing, and assembling mechanical movements within its own Geneva factory.
A New Collection from a CEO Who Loves "Old Cars"
While the brand's biggest icon is undoubtedly the wristwatch with the "Heartbeat" mechanism, Frederique Constant's product lineup always garners attention each year for its car-related models, particularly those inspired by classic and vintage cars. This is because CEO Peter Stas himself is an enthusiast of such vintage automobiles and has a history of sponsoring events for British classic cars like the Austin-Healey around the world, and planning and releasing limited edition watches to commemorate these cars and events.
The standout new release for 2011 is the "Vintage Racing Collection Beijing Paris Limited Edition," a new mechanical chronograph related to cars. This timepiece was created as an homage to the "Beijing-Paris" classic and vintage car endurance rally, covering a total distance of 14,300 kilometers, for which the company served as the official timekeeper. Held from September 10 to October 16, 2010, it is a classic three-dial (three sub-dials) mechanical chronograph with a refined design, truly embodying this year's watch trend of retro-classic.
Naturally, the price is also very reasonable, in line with the brand's policy. This is a timepiece that can be confidently recommended to all those considering the purchase of a mechanical chronograph, as well as classic and vintage car enthusiasts.
Vintage Racing Collection Beijing Paris Limited Edition
A Vintage Charm That Evokes Historic Masterpieces
This new mechanical chronograph model embodies the "elegant mechanical beauty" found in classic and vintage cars. The dial comes in three variations: a silver dial with black steel or rose gold-plated indices and hands, and a silver dial with black sub-dials and an outer ring. The case back is a see-through仕様, featuring a special automatic winding rotor adorned with the original "Beijing-Paris" rally logo. A special presentation box is included, engraved with the route traversed by participants in the 2010 rally.
Automatic winding, 43mm stainless steel case, water-resistant croco-embossed calf strap, see-through back, limited to 1,888 pieces worldwide, priced at ¥294,000 (estimated). Scheduled for release in August.
GM International
Tel. 03-5828-9080
http://www.clubfc.jp/