Frederique Constant has been known for creating elegant feminine watches, designed by women for women, and with the introduction of the new Slimline Moonphase Stars Manufacture, the Geneva-based brand does not disappoint. Inspired by women for women Designed by Mrs Aletta Stas, co-founder of Frederique Constant Slimline Moonphase Stars Manufacture, the Slimline Moonphase Manufacture Stars is an elegant fusion of femininity and artisanship resulting in a graceful Lady’s timepiece wrapped around your wrist! The combination of curves, mysteriousness, brilliant white diamonds illuminate a woman’s wrist defining true grace and style.
Feminine Savoir-Faire As per true Frederique Constant custom, the brand introduces a novelty that combines elegance and watchmaking technique to perfection, offering a timepiece with a moonphase complication, showcasing intricate finishing and a diamond-set bezel. Available in either a rose gold-plated steel or plain steel 38.8mm case with 60 diamonds (0.5 cts) set around the bezel, with a see-through back case revealing the new FC-701 automatic in-house movement decorated with Perlage and Côtes de Genève details.
The new in-house FC-701 movement, like all previous FC-7XX caliber series, has all its functions regulated via the crown only, an easy adjust setting which will delight their owners. The sunray night blue or the shiny dark black dial contrast with the sparkling silver or rose gold-colored printed stars. Did you ever wish to hold millions of stars on the palm of your hand? Well then holding the new Frederique Constant Slimline Moonphase Stars Manufacture and gazing into its dial, you will get lost in the luminous glitter of a thousand stars.
Even here in Australia – relatively under-populated and enormous as it is – you need to venture out to the country to get a proper look at the stars. There’s really no ignoring the stubborn corporate buildings and incessant traffic that means our cities and towns are constantly bathed in urban glow.
So how do we get our fix of the pure unadulterated night sky? Easy: regular camping trips out in the bush. And for those times of year when that’s not possible? Well, how about a spot of star gazing via the Frederique Constant Slimline Moonphase Stars Manufacture, which has just been unveiled at Baselworld.
We got a sneak peek ahead of the fair, and it really is lovely. The key feature is clearly the moon phase, which rotates elegantly just beneath the 12 o’clock position, appearing to scatter stars across the midnight dial as it does so.
At 38.8mm, it’s fairly large for a women’s timepiece, and with sixty diamonds sparkling around the bezel, it runs the risk – on paper at least – of being overwhelming. In actual fact, it’s nothing of the sort, and on the wrist, it looks daintier than its size would suggest. There’s even – and even just typing this feels absurd – something minimalist about it. Perhaps it’s thanks to the absence of any numerals, the hours marked instead by a mix of indices and (yes, more) diamonds.
Keeping the watch in place is the super-glossy navy alligator strap, which works beautifully with the theme, as does the intricate gold buckle representing the Frederique Constant logo.
Meanwhile, inside purrs the new automatic manufacture flyback calibre FC-701, which you can get a good look at through the transparent caseback. Given that an in-house movement with a moon phase complication very rarely comes at price point like this, we’re calling this a genuine star-spangled banger.
Eight diamonds encircle the dial, together with four indices, with finely honed hands moving through a shower of stars with silver or rose gold tones, and which make it easy to read the hours and minutes. The finest complication that needs to be highlighted for this timepiece is at 12 o’clock: the moonphase. The Slimline Moonphase Stars Manufacture contains the new in-house automatic movement FC-701, which is adorned with a pearl finish and a Côtes de Genève (“Geneva stripes”) pattern. Running at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations an hour, it has a power reserve of 42 hours. Thanks to the transparent case back, the movement can be seen at work.
The Slimline Moonphase Stars Manufacture comes in steel or gold-plated steel versions and has a 38.8-mm case – neither too big, not too small for a feminine wrist. Decorated with 60 diamonds on the bezel, with a total of 0.5 carats, the watch is available with a deep black dial and stars printed in rose gold or – for lovers of the night – a midnight blue dial with stars printed in silver. Frédérique Constant has brought a galactic journey within easy reach.
