Z
Zach Weiss
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When Frederique Constant released the Classic Moonphase a few months ago, it seemed to turn a lot of heads. Staying true to the brand’s philosophy of creating accessibly luxury timepieces, the watch boasted a new in-house caliber (more of a variation, to be picky) and a decidedly Patek-y look for a relatively low price point. Coming in just below $4k, the watch offered a lot of value for an in-house movement, and an aesthetic that often costs an arm and a leg to obtain. It also showed off an eye-catching flip-open case back, which gave it some unexpected panache.
The last time we reviewed an FC it was the spiritual cousin of this watch, the Slimline Moonphase, which used a similar movement, and achieved high points for style and finish. While the watch was a winner, one of the complaints a lot of people had about it was the 42mm diameter. While I found it still wore very well, the notion of a 42mm dress/formal watch with a very large dial is understandably a bit concerning. The Classic Moonphase comes in at a more palatable 40.5mm, but wears even smaller due to various design details. As such, it might just be the option for those turned off by the former’s size. Apart from that, the design itself offers a very attractive option in the under $5k market, so let’s take a closer look.
Frederique Constant Classic Moonphase Review
Case: Steel
Movement: FC-715
Dial: Silver Sun-ray
Lume: No
Lens: Sapphire
Strap: Gator
Water Res.: 3 Atm
Dimensions: 40.5 x 47 mm
Thickness: 12.7 mm
Lug Width: 20 mm
Crown: 6 x 4mm
Warranty: 2 Years
Price: $3,995
Case
Coming in at 40.5 x 47 x 12.77mm (to top of sapphire), the Classic Moonphase is a robust dress/formal watch that wears a bit smaller than expected. The design, as the name indicates, is classic in styling with thick, near straight lugs coming out of a rounded case. The mid-case, bezel, sapphire and case back all elegantly curve, creating very attractive fluid surfaces that belie the 40mm diameter. It is, but once again, the smoothness of the sides makes it look and feel less so. More over, part of the thickness is thanks to the hunter case-back, a detail I particularly love.
The case is polished all around, which might actually make it look a bit smaller too (gloss and black tend to do that). While fitting of the style, some brushing would have been nice, particularly on the tops of the lugs. That said, the watch looks good enough as is.
The crown is onion-style, measuring about 6 x 4mm. It fits the classic style of the watch, and I was glad to see it was relatively small. Onion crowns can get a bit ornate for my taste, and also a bit uncomfortable, when they are large. My one gripe is that it’s a bit hard to pull out, so you need to dig a finger nail under it to make pop out of home position. Hand winding, conversely, is easy.
Flipping the watch over, you are met with a fairly plain piece of steel with a couple of etched markings. Upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that there is a hinge on one side, and a small flange on the other. Popping it open with your finger nail reveals a wide display window showing off the absolutely gorgeous movement within, as well as the perlage finishing on the inside of the cover.
The “hunter-style” back is a reference to old pocket watches, giving the watch a decidedly early 20th century feel. While a gimmick, I love it. Sure, it does protect the display window, which is nice, but clearly not a huge issue. What it does in practice that I like is really showcase the movement, which is likely a large reason one is interested in this watch. FC’s in-house caliber’s are beautifully designed and finished… a real selling point of the watch and brand. When the watch is off your wrist, you’ll be hard pressed not to open it up to admire the movement. And, if you’re the showing off type, when your non-watch friends take a look, their minds might just be blown.
Dial
Sticking with the theme, the dial of the Classic Moonphase has a tried and true design, closely resembling that of a 50’s Patek, as noted by WatchesbySJX. This is both the good and bad about the watch… it’s a great look and a design that is as handsome here on the FC as the Patek. Me, you and likely everyone we know (unless you are friends with Charlie Sheen) are not going to be getting their hands on the Patek, lest they have a few hundred grand to spare. Moreover, you’ll enjoy seeing this on your wrist, and it’s still in the end a sort-of “generic” look for the time period. Also, it might very well be the only reasons one is interested in this watch in the first place… But, a lack of originality is always unfortunate, and a bit of an issue with the brand in general.
Moving on, the dial consists of an elegant light silver sunburst surface which immediately gives the dial some depth and texture. The primary index consists of applied steel markers with a beautiful faceted shape. They glint in the light, and add some nice contrast to the fluid lines of the case. Around the outer edge of the dial is a minute/seconds index of lines and numerals, encircled by a thin black line. I quite like how this index adds something a bit sportier/more technical to the dial, keeping it from feeling too dressy. The index has numerals every 5 minutes/seconds as well as sub-seconds marks. Certainly a watch this style could have forgone this index for just the applied markers, but it works very well.
At 6 is the star of the show; the combined small-date index and moonphase. This area is actually virtually identical as to what was found on the Slimline Moonphase. As I liked it there, I like it here too. The center of the dial is indented a drop, then cutout to create the classic moonphase aperture. Around the window are numerals for the date in black. The moon disk is a dark metallic blue with brassy cutouts for the moon and stars. The occasional shock of blue light that reflects off of it adds to subtle, but luxurious feel of the watch.
The post Frederique Constant Classic Moonphase Review appeared first on worn&wound.
Continue reading...
Let us know your thoughts and impressions.
When Frederique Constant released the Classic Moonphase a few months ago, it seemed to turn a lot of heads. Staying true to the brand’s philosophy of creating accessibly luxury timepieces, the watch boasted a new in-house caliber (more of a variation, to be picky) and a decidedly Patek-y look for a relatively low price point. Coming in just below $4k, the watch offered a lot of value for an in-house movement, and an aesthetic that often costs an arm and a leg to obtain. It also showed off an eye-catching flip-open case back, which gave it some unexpected panache.
The last time we reviewed an FC it was the spiritual cousin of this watch, the Slimline Moonphase, which used a similar movement, and achieved high points for style and finish. While the watch was a winner, one of the complaints a lot of people had about it was the 42mm diameter. While I found it still wore very well, the notion of a 42mm dress/formal watch with a very large dial is understandably a bit concerning. The Classic Moonphase comes in at a more palatable 40.5mm, but wears even smaller due to various design details. As such, it might just be the option for those turned off by the former’s size. Apart from that, the design itself offers a very attractive option in the under $5k market, so let’s take a closer look.
Frederique Constant Classic Moonphase Review
Case: SteelMovement: FC-715
Dial: Silver Sun-ray
Lume: No
Lens: Sapphire
Strap: Gator
Water Res.: 3 Atm
Dimensions: 40.5 x 47 mm
Thickness: 12.7 mm
Lug Width: 20 mm
Crown: 6 x 4mm
Warranty: 2 Years
Price: $3,995
Case
Coming in at 40.5 x 47 x 12.77mm (to top of sapphire), the Classic Moonphase is a robust dress/formal watch that wears a bit smaller than expected. The design, as the name indicates, is classic in styling with thick, near straight lugs coming out of a rounded case. The mid-case, bezel, sapphire and case back all elegantly curve, creating very attractive fluid surfaces that belie the 40mm diameter. It is, but once again, the smoothness of the sides makes it look and feel less so. More over, part of the thickness is thanks to the hunter case-back, a detail I particularly love.
The case is polished all around, which might actually make it look a bit smaller too (gloss and black tend to do that). While fitting of the style, some brushing would have been nice, particularly on the tops of the lugs. That said, the watch looks good enough as is.
The crown is onion-style, measuring about 6 x 4mm. It fits the classic style of the watch, and I was glad to see it was relatively small. Onion crowns can get a bit ornate for my taste, and also a bit uncomfortable, when they are large. My one gripe is that it’s a bit hard to pull out, so you need to dig a finger nail under it to make pop out of home position. Hand winding, conversely, is easy.
Flipping the watch over, you are met with a fairly plain piece of steel with a couple of etched markings. Upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that there is a hinge on one side, and a small flange on the other. Popping it open with your finger nail reveals a wide display window showing off the absolutely gorgeous movement within, as well as the perlage finishing on the inside of the cover.
The “hunter-style” back is a reference to old pocket watches, giving the watch a decidedly early 20th century feel. While a gimmick, I love it. Sure, it does protect the display window, which is nice, but clearly not a huge issue. What it does in practice that I like is really showcase the movement, which is likely a large reason one is interested in this watch. FC’s in-house caliber’s are beautifully designed and finished… a real selling point of the watch and brand. When the watch is off your wrist, you’ll be hard pressed not to open it up to admire the movement. And, if you’re the showing off type, when your non-watch friends take a look, their minds might just be blown.
Dial
Sticking with the theme, the dial of the Classic Moonphase has a tried and true design, closely resembling that of a 50’s Patek, as noted by WatchesbySJX. This is both the good and bad about the watch… it’s a great look and a design that is as handsome here on the FC as the Patek. Me, you and likely everyone we know (unless you are friends with Charlie Sheen) are not going to be getting their hands on the Patek, lest they have a few hundred grand to spare. Moreover, you’ll enjoy seeing this on your wrist, and it’s still in the end a sort-of “generic” look for the time period. Also, it might very well be the only reasons one is interested in this watch in the first place… But, a lack of originality is always unfortunate, and a bit of an issue with the brand in general.
Moving on, the dial consists of an elegant light silver sunburst surface which immediately gives the dial some depth and texture. The primary index consists of applied steel markers with a beautiful faceted shape. They glint in the light, and add some nice contrast to the fluid lines of the case. Around the outer edge of the dial is a minute/seconds index of lines and numerals, encircled by a thin black line. I quite like how this index adds something a bit sportier/more technical to the dial, keeping it from feeling too dressy. The index has numerals every 5 minutes/seconds as well as sub-seconds marks. Certainly a watch this style could have forgone this index for just the applied markers, but it works very well.
At 6 is the star of the show; the combined small-date index and moonphase. This area is actually virtually identical as to what was found on the Slimline Moonphase. As I liked it there, I like it here too. The center of the dial is indented a drop, then cutout to create the classic moonphase aperture. Around the window are numerals for the date in black. The moon disk is a dark metallic blue with brassy cutouts for the moon and stars. The occasional shock of blue light that reflects off of it adds to subtle, but luxurious feel of the watch.
The post Frederique Constant Classic Moonphase Review appeared first on worn&wound.
Continue reading...
Let us know your thoughts and impressions.