Frederique Constant came on the watchmaking scene in 1988. Aletta and Peter Stas are the minds that powered this brand and set forth a clear mandate: “Swiss Made luxury watches at fair prices.” The brand has understood the assignment and the watches have been creative, practical, Swiss-made, and attainable. The brand has a variety of watches on offer, both quartz and mechanical models, and can boast of 30 calibers of its own creation from their Manufacture at Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva.
The Frederique Constant Highlife collection was initially launched in 1999, and thanks to several design markers, it became a landmark collection for Frederique Constant. The watches were — and still are — great examples of fine Swiss watchmaking, paired with high-level finishing, all within our reach, thanks to the affordable pricing. But don’t let the pricing fool you — each Frederique Constant watch is worth more than it’s price tag.
At first Frederique Constant offered the Highlife collection for the gentlemen. In time (no pun intended) they saw the light (from the stars? okay, pun intended here) and offered the Ladies version in 2021: the Frederique Constant Highlife Ladies Automatic Sparkling. The design aesthetic was similar to the Men’s watches, with a little more finesse. Ladies deserve more than just adding gems to a watch to make it worthy of their attention. The round case was slightly curved, making a more gentle silhouette, and the case size was 34mm, just right for the ladies’ wrist. The steel case has both brushed and polished surfaces that create a nice interplay of light.
Where does the ‘sparkle’ come in, you ask? Just gaze upon the dial and you’ll see. The dial is a delightful blue reminiscent of the sky above. Though the Firm describes it as ‘sky-blue’ it seems a little closer to an ‘evening sky-blue.’ The stardust on the dial is actually silver fragments that have been added to resemble stars in the sky. Are there representations of actual constellations? Perhaps, perhaps not; and it could depend on your individual watch. But it is the watch wearer’s option if they choose to see specific constellations in the scattered sparkles.
Adding to the sparkle are the diamond hour markers, except for the 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock. All other hours have a delightful diamond marker, and having two diamonds in each of the four quadrants gives a nice symmetry to this classic watch. The 6 and 9 o’clock hours have single applique markers, with the 12 getting a double dose. The 3 o’clock has the date window. The watch is a classic three-hander, with the seconds hand markedly slimmer than the other two.
And the dazzle continues with the diamonds on the bezel — 60 diamonds circle the dial. Did you see what they did there? Sixty diamonds, one for each minute in an hour. Time is precious indeed, so why not mark each minute with a diamond?
The original Highlife watches had an integrated strap system, which helped make the watch look oh-so-sleek and elegant. Since then the designers have taken the strap a step further and have made it easily interchangeable too. This gives the wearer flexibility and options with their watch. You can go from glamorous chic to urban sporty in a matter of seconds, with no special tools needed.
And these quick-change straps? Don’t worry, your diamond-adorned bezel will not be damaged when you change straps. Each strap is held safely in place by a pin buckle that has the Frederique Constant coat-of-arms. Whether you choose the elegant three-link steel strap, or the white rubber strap, the diamonds stay with you too.
The Highlife Ladies Automatic Sparkling watch has an automatic movement, meaning it is equipped with an oscillating rotor that spins as the wearer’s wrist moves. Each movement of the wrist will wind the watch. No need to worry about batteries with this beauty on your wrist. The FC-303 caliber has 26 jewels, and this does not mean the diamonds on the bezel. Jewels in a watch caliber are used as bearings, and since the gemstones are so smooth, they create only minimal friction, and this allow the gears to move more smoothly and efficiently.
And you’ll be able to fully appreciate the beauty of this movement through the crystal caseback. It takes a confident watchmaker to release a watch with a crystal caseback, because every millimeter of the watch movement will be open to scrutiny. Each surface must be perfectly polished and treated. No cutting corners allowed here.
The Frederique Constant Highlife Ladies Automatic Sparkling watch will have only 888 units made, available across 120 countries.
