The Citizen Group have opened their first flagship store in New York, a multi-brand location where you can purchase watches from Accutron, Alpina, Bulova, Citizen, and Frederique Constant. It’s a landmark moment that’s being celebrated by the launch of new watches from Alpina and Frederique Constant. Frederique Constant’s offering is the Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Manufacture Limited Edition.
It’s been an exciting year for Frederique Constant because they’ve really focussed on their high-end horological timepieces in honour of their 35th anniversary. In November they released the rose gold edition of the Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Manufacture which they’ve followed up on with this new limited-edition version in steel. Steel, to me, has always been the natural material of the Highlife as it emphasises its cool integrated bracelet, sports watch aesthetics. The case itself measures 41mm in diameter and is water resistant to 100m.
While it’s nice to see the case in steel, unsurprisingly that the most significant feature of the tourbillon perpetual calendar model is the dial. It has a matte blue colouration with the signature Highlife globe pattern embossed into it. Although you would only recognise that the globe pattern is present if you’re familiar with the regular Highlife because it’s heavily obscured by the tourbillon at 6 o’clock and the perpetual calendar indicators.
Those indicators are months and leap year at 12 o’clock, date at 3, small seconds at 6 o’clock on top of the exposed tourbillon and days of the week at 9. They’re powered by the FC-975 manufacture calibre, which is visible through the sapphire exhibition caseback. It has automatic winding with a 38-hour power reserve, which seems low on the surface but you have to remember that it’s both a tourbillon and perpetual calendar, both of which are power intensive complications.
Only 88 Frederique Constant Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Manufacture Limited Editions are being produced. And presumably they’ll be available from the new New York flagship boutique they’ve been launched in celebration of. In terms of price it’s £23,995, making it one of the most expensive pieces in the Highlife collection which normally sits in the £1,500-£3,000 bracket. But then, that’s to be expected for an haute horological edition.
Price and Specs:
More details at Frederique Constant.
