Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Manufacture: Fine Watchmaking Revisited

There has been endless speculation among the collectors waiting for this piece; the flagship collection by Frederique Constant, coupled with an iconic complication in Fine Watchmaking and with the addition of the most complex mechanical calendar ever invented. Meet the Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Manufacture.

Many dreamed about it, others hoped for it. Not only does it represent what Frederique Constant has done best for nearly 35 years, it is an all-important example of Fine Watchmaking as well. Thanks to its technicality, its beauty and its precision, not forgetting what has set the manufacture apart from the very beginning – accessibility.

Available in 18 carats rose gold or steel, this piece is bold. It breaks rules that were thought to be set in stone. Frederique Constant proves you can design something truly modern, but enhanced with time-honoured complications. Then produce and assemble them at the Geneva-based manufacture and create the most accessible Quantième Perpétuel Tourbillon Manufacture ever made. In the end, succeeding in uniting what some believed would not be possible and bringing a lively, modern, elegant and accurate timepiece to life.

Simple and intuitive

As with any such high-performance complication, optimum readability is key. Within the 41 mm case with the integrated strap characteristic of the Highlife collection, Frederique Constant has organised its complications into four segments.

The day and date are the most useful pieces of information and read every day; the brand has therefore arranged them horizontally in this order, so as to be read in a natural and intuitive way in a fraction of a second.

Brought together in a single counter at 12 o’clock are the month (large hand) and leap year indication (small hand). Adding the finishing touch to this perfectly mastered aesthetic composition, the tourbillon balances it out at 6 o'clock, counting down the seconds with its central hand.

A manufacture calibre of the highest standard

This subtle composition is powered by the FC-975 calibre. It is designed, produced and assembled in very limited numbers at the Geneva-based manufacture. For greater precision (an essential characteristic of the tourbillon), Frederique Constant has equipped it with a silicone escapement - both the escape wheel and the lever. This choice of technology is a real favourite of the Manufacture, providing collectors with a piece that is stable and accurate, unaffected by temperature fluctuations and magnetic fields, including those associated with the digital environment, such as computers, smartphones, tablets, connected speakers, etc. You can appreciate the inner workings of this exceptional movement from any angle on the Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Manufacture, on the dial side and on the back. Correctors used to set the watch are discreetly tucked away in the caseband.

Shades of blue

The two versions are dominated by the colour blue. On both sides of the complications on display, Frederique Constant has opted for a face without a dial. This allows you to see the inner workings of the FC-975 Manufacture calibre, alongside the delicate blued screws, perlage and subtle Côtes de Genève. It also improves the contrast between the rhodiumplated movement and the perpetual calendar display. To ensure it is easy to read, the Manufacture has also been careful to give them recessed counters on two levels, so as to better capture the light.

Unique pieces, multiple looks

Although the Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Manufacture is strictly limited to 30 pieces for the rose gold version and 88 for the steel version, collectors can create different looks for their numbered and engraved watches. Each one comes with two straps, which can be swapped around at will, without the need for tools.

The rose gold version comes with a topstitched alligator leather strap, alongside a second rubber strap, reinforcing the urban and contemporary attitude that the Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Manufacture can take on in seconds. This same rubber strap also comes with the steel watch, alongside a steel strap with a three-link design comprised of polished and satin-brushed links and a folding buckle bearing the Frederique Constant hallmark.

Technical Specifications

• Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Manufacture
  

RRP 39’995.-

Reference:

- FC-975N4NH9

Limited edition:

- Limited to 30 pieces

Functions:

- Hours, minutes, seconds, date, day, month, leap year

Movement:

- FC-975 caliber, automatic, tourbillon, perpetual calendar

- Perlage, drafted marks and Côtes de Genève decorations

- 38-hour power reserve, 33 jewels, 28'800 alt/h

- Silicon escapement wheel and anchor

Case:

- Brushed and polished 18K rose gold 3-part case

- Diameter of 41 mm

- Height of 12,65 mm

- Front convex sapphire crystal

- See-through case back

- Water-resistant up to 3 ATM

Dial:

- Skeleton dial

- Navy blue outer ring with white printed second markers

- Hand-polished rose gold-plated with white luminous treatment hour and minute hands

- Navy blue day counter at 9 o’clock with hand-polished rose goldplated hand

- Navy blue month and year counter at 12 o’clock with handpolished rose gold-plated hands

- Navy blue date counter at 3 o’clock with hand-polished rose goldplated hand

- Open tourbillon’s cage at 6 o’clock with hand-polished rose goldplated
seconds hand

Strap:

- Navy blue alligator leather strap with nubuck finishing Including an additionnal navy blue rubber strap

• Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Manufacture
  

RRP 22’995.-

Reference:

FC-975N4NH6B

Limited edition:

- Limited to 88 pieces

Functions:

- Hours, minutes, seconds, date, day, month, leap year

Movement:

- FC-975 caliber, automatic, tourbillon, perpetual calendar

- Perlage, drafted marks and Côtes de Genève decorations

- 38-hour power reserve, 33 jewels, 28'800 alt/h

- Silicon escapement wheel and anchor

Case:

- Brushed and polished stainless steel 3-part case

- Diameter of 41 mm

- Height of 12,65 mm

- Front convex sapphire crystal

- See-through case back

- Water-resistant up to 3 ATM

Dial:

- Skeleton dial

- Navy blue outer ring with white printed second markers

- Hand-polished silvered color with white luminous treatment hour and minute hands

- Navy blue day counter at 9 o’clock with hand-polished silvered color hand

- Navy blue month and year counter at 12 o’clock with handpolished silvered color hands

- Navy blue date counter at 3 o’clock with hand-polished silvered color l hand

- Open tourbillon’s cage at 6 o’clock with hand-polished silvered color second hand

Strap:

- Brushed and polished stainless steel 3-link bracelet

- Including an additionnal navy blue rubber strap

About Frederique Constant

Frederique Constant is a Swiss watchmaking manufacture located in Geneva, Switzerland. The Maison was founded in 1988 by a couple of independent entrepreneurs, Aletta and Peter Stas, to offer quality Swiss watches at competitive prices, with the aim of democratising luxury Swiss Made watches.

Frederique Constant creates, develops, assembles and controls a wide variety of mechanical, quartz and connected timepieces at the same time within its 6,200 m2 Manufacture in Planles-Ouates (GE). To this day, Frederique Constant has designed 29 Manufacture calibres, including high complications, such as the Tourbillon, Perpetual Calendar and Flyback Chronograph.

In 2015, Frederique Constant launched the Horological Smartwatch, the first Swiss Made connected timepiece featuring a traditional appearance. Powered by a connected module, the Horological Smartwatch represents a new segment in Swiss watchmaking. In 2018, the Classic Hybrid Manufacture succeeded it, combining a mechanical movement with intelligent features and an integrated calibre analysis system. It was followed by the Smartwatch Vitality line in 2020. Equipped with a new generation built-in heart rate sensor, it features a classic dial, combined with a digital display that is revealed on demand.

Frederique Constant is currently present in nearly 3’000 points of sale in 120 countries across the world. In 2016, the Frederique Constant group (Frederique Constant, Alpina Watches, Ateliers deMonaco) joined the Japanese group Citizen, so as to pursue its international development and nurture new synergies.