Frederique Constant co-founder Peter Stas is known to love the ocean and passionate about sailing so it comes as no surprise his love for both are reflected in the brand’s offerings. As early as 1997, Stas pushed for the creation of the Yacht Timer Regatta, a watch dedicated to fans of yachting and regattas. Offering a countdown to the start of the race complication but in a stylish design, it became popular even with enthusiasts who lacked the sea legs needed to go offshore racing.

Nearly two decades after its initial release, the Frederique Constant Yacht Timer Regatta has been re-introduced into the brand’s line-up to match the current styling and design trends and an automatic movement versus the 1997 quartz powered version. Launched last year, the new Yacht Timer Regatta sports the automatic FC-380 calibre movement that is rated to 100 meters of water resistance. It beats at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per minute and has a 48-hour power reserve. The movement is housed in a polished stainless-steel case with a diameter of 42mm presented with a guilloche decorated anthracite gray dial. The dial pattern is inspired by the movement of ocean waves and similarly reflects like to provide an ever-changing appearance depending on the angles of light it catches.

The dial is embellished with broad hour and minute hands enhanced by a luminous treatment and complemented by an orange hand that accentuates the sporty look. At 12 o’clock, it sits precisely in the center of a luminescent double index hour marker. Under the latter are the five openings that form the Yacht Timer Regatta Countdown’s central complication: the countdown. Located at the top of the dial, each dot represents 1 minute. Pressing the button at the top starts the first countdown, gradually turning all the dots from grey to white. When all 5 dots are white, 5 minutes have passed. The second countdown, the final 5 minutes before the starting signal, then begins automatically. This time, the 5 dots gradually turn orange. When the 5th and final dot has turned orange and the seconds hand is at 12 o’clock, the regatta is officially underway.

The watch comes with a stainless-steel strap that matches the dial made up of alternating polished and satin finished links but also comes with a sporty rubber strap for an even sportier appearance.