his year we really focus on the 35^th anniversary of Frederique Constant, presenting new manufacture timepieces every quarter, most of them released in a limited edition of 35 pieces,” said Niels Eggerding, CEO of Frederique Constant, about the new Frederique Constant Slimline Perpetual Calendar Manufacture designed by Peter Speake.

Presented on November 16 at Dubai Watch Week, Mr. Eggerding said the biannual event, organised by Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, was the perfect place to introduce complex timepieces to a global audience of collectors, press, and retailers. Compared with the previous collaboration with The Naked Watchmaker, Peter Speake’s website (first introduced in June 2022), the new version has a more monochrome look thanks to a black DLC coating of the case and understated colouring of the visible movement.

“Here in Dubai, we also introduced a €45,000 Highlife Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon in solid gold, with interchangeable straps. It is also water resistant to 100 metres,” said Mr. Eggerding about the upgrade of the brand, which seems to go hand in hand with the overall development of the Swiss watch industry: lower volumes; higher prices.

“But there I am a bit careful. Every brand is uplifting, but we don’t uplift by just raising prices. No, we do it justified by calibres.” He also said the idea of being accessible – a core part of the brand’s USP ever since its foundation in 1988 – is as present as ever. “For instance, we have a tourbillon for €14,000. I realise that is expensive, but it is still accessible for what it is,” he said. “And we keep the core of Frederique Constant between €750 and €2,500. Because I still believe that one day it will come back, and if all brands are going up, we will remain exactly there on the sweet spot, where we want to be.”

Another example showcasing the elevated ability of the Geneva manufacture was the Tourbillon Manufacture, for the first time with a meteorite dial and a 39-millimetre platinum case. On top of novel materials, every moving part is hand-finished – a 150-200-hour process that on some bridges includes the rarely used technique of hand hammering. With a CHF 43,000 price tag the value-for-money approach is clear.

In parallel with the high-end models, the brand has also worked on the entry-level part of the Highlife collection, which was first introduced in the early 2000s. Most notably on Automatic, the sports chic model that has integrated bracelets. From December 2023 there are two new models available, which are designed and developed in a collaboration with French DJ The Avener, who is the brand ambassador for the Highlife collection.

“The equalizer is represented in the blue variation dial which comes with a steel bracelet. The second piece, on a black textile strap, features a black dial which represents the drop of the bass,” explained Eggerding about the pieces which are a limited edition of 432 pieces each. The number is not random, as this is a frequency said to be the most harmonious for human beings, often used in meditation contexts.

With this evolution, how is business going at the brand’s 3,000 points of sale across 120 countries? “Last year we grew 27%, which put us back to pre-Covid figures,” said Mr. Eggerding about the best year in the brand’s history. This year’s 35^th-anniversary push for manufacture pieces, which has included new timepieces every quarter, has also paid off. “In 2023 we have another 16% growth compared with last year. High-end pieces are the ones that sell. It is more complicated today to sell a watch around €1,000, than a watch around €15,000 – strangely enough,” concluded Eggerding.

An issue for Frederique Constant that has raised questions is the move of its master watchmaker Pim Koeslag, who led the brand’s manufacture development for two decades. In 2022 he moved back to The Netherlands, where he is now the head and majority owner of Dutch astronomical watch brand Christiaan van der Klaauw.

“Pim is still with us two or three days per month to monitor the development, working with our three current master watchmakers who are elevating the brand,” said Eggerding. “And to emphasise this, we decided to make a collaboration for Only Watch [auction, which has been meanwhile cancelled]. We wanted to show the world that we are still very strong together. This watch has the best of two worlds: The planetarium from Christiaan van der Klaauw and the tourbillon from Frederique Constant together in one watch.”

The upscale movement of the brand, which since 2016 is a part of the Citizen Group, is also reflected in its choice of events; a must after the arrogance-induced demise of Baselworld. Apart from Dubai Watch Week and Geneva Watch Days. “In 2023 we joined Watches and Wonders, which was a strategical move for us. And we have been at Dubai Watch Week for many years, and Geneva Watch Days since it started in 2020. So now we have three points where we connect with VIP retailers, VIP customers and press.”

Despite leading a product-driven brand, Mr. Eggerding believes that the development of the brand would not have happened if it weren’t for the human relations formed at such events. “We are humans who are with passion creating something as unique as a watch. You need to have personal contact to explain the products and the passion behind it. During Covid we missed the personal contacts. We all thought we’d manage, but it was very painful not to connect. And I think after that we have all really embraced in full to be able to be connected again,” he said.

This connection also comes with a new approach from a large part of the industry. According to Mr. Eggerding, the last years have brought about a larger transparency and sharing between brands, especially seen in informal talks between CEOs and the recent surge of collaborations. “This sharing brings the whole level of entrepreneurship up. I hope this will continue – especially all these dynamic collaborations that have led to unique designs,” he concluded.