or 35 years, Frederique Constant has unwaveringly placed mechanical excellence at the heart of its timepieces, and the Classic Moonphase Date Manufacture is no exception. The reason it could not be released any sooner was that it required the use of the very latest movement to be produced by the manufacture: the FC-716 calibre, the fruit of extensive development and experience patiently built up over the decades.

Today, Frederique Constant has 33 in-house movements, each born out of the desire to further enhance the essence of mechanical watchmaking: quality, accuracy and reliability, made as widely available as possible in line with the Manufacture’s guiding principles.

That said, there won’t be enough of these limited-edition pieces to satisfy every collector: only 150 will be made. Indeed, since 2023, rather than being gold-plated all Frederique Constant’s Manufacture watches have been solid gold; the Classic Moonphase Date Manufacture is a case in point, being the first in the FC-716 series to be crafted from a solid piece of 18k rose gold. Each piece will be unique, engraved and numbered on the caseback.

At once precise and precious, the Classic Moonphase Date Manufacture marks a fresh chapter in the long saga of timepieces to combine two iconic complications: Date and moonphase. One might see these two displays as being very different: the former changes clearly and visibly every day, resulting in a complication that’s highly relevant and indeed invaluable on a daily basis. The moonphase, on the other hand, marks out a subtle shift that’s invisible to the naked eye, linked to the lunar cycle but rather less so to everyday needs. It’s a poetic complication that’s intimately bound up with the history of watchmaking, offering a graceful style and conjuring up flights of fancy.

The date and the phases of the moon are in fact secretly connected: both relate to astronomy. For the best part of three centuries, watchmakers have seen them as natural and obvious partners, and this is what Frederique Constant seeks to celebrate in this piece, calling on the traditional register of fine watchmaking to pay tribute to an age-old heritage. And so it is that the two complications are intimately intertwined here in a single display at six o’clock against the backdrop of a silvered dial with a delicate sunburst finish. Slim rose gold-coloured hour markers are arrayed around the dial, matching the hands – all of which are individually hand-polished.

The sector dial minute track recalls the heyday of watchmaking in the 1940s and 50s, while the onion-shaped crown at three o’clock evokes the beautiful pocket watches of yesteryear. The piece comes in a perfectly-proportioned case just 40 millimetres in diameter – a format beloved of collectors due to its universal, timeless appeal.

On the caseback, the Classic Moonphase Date Manufacture also embodies all the care and attention Frederique Constant devotes to finishings. A transparent crystal offers a view of the new FC-716 movement with its perlage and Côtes de Genève finishes. The barrel now gives the piece a 72-hour power reserve, equivalent to three days. The high-precision movement beats at 4 Hertz; its capacity to return swiftly to absolutely regular oscillations makes it better able to withstand the vagaries of everyday wear. Derived from the FC-715 base and using over 90% of the same components, it’s exceptionally well tried and tested – and highly reliable.

The watch comes on a navy blue alligator leather strap with matching topstitching.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Reference FC-716S3H9

Functions Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Moonphase, Date by hand

Movement

• FC-716 in-house caliber, automatic
• Perlage & fan shape Côtes de Genève decorations
• 72-hour power reserve, 28’800 alt/h, 26 jewels

Case

• Polished 18K rose gold 3-part case
  Diameter of 40 mm
  Height of 12,40 mm
• Anti-reflective convex sapphire crystal
• Water-resistant up to 3 ATM/30m/100ft
• Engraved and see-through threaded case back

Dial

• Silver color dial with sunray finishing
• Applied rose gold-plated diamond cut indexes
• Black printed graduation
• Hand-polished rose gold-plated hour, minute and second hands
• Moonphase and date by hand with rose gold-plated hand at 6 o’clock

Strap

• Navy blue alligator leather strap with tone-on-tone stitching
• Folding buckle

Limited edition Limited to 150 pieces
Individual limited edition number engraved on the case back
RRP 17’995€