Introducing Frederique Constant's Thirty-First Caliber: The Classic Power Reserve Big Date Manufacture

Frederique Constant seems to turn out new calibers like it's going out of style – but with the demand for in-house and manufacture calibers still high, I doubt that will ever be the case. As such, the brand has just announced its 31st caliber, the FC-735, inside a new watch, the Classic Power Reserve Big Date Manufacture.

The watch, measuring 40mm by 12.19mm thick in a stainless steel or 18k rose gold case, is powered by a fully crown-set caliber with hours, minutes, seconds, a big date display, moon phase, and a power reserve indicator. The movement also has 50 hours of power reserve, with basic perlage and circular Côtes de Genève decorations. On the dial side, the stainless steel options come with white or blue dials, while the 18k gold has a grey dial, all of which are finished in a sunray pattern and applied diamond cut indexes. 

The new releases won't officially be available until November and will run you $4,995 in steel and $19,995 in 18k rose gold, the latter of which is limited to just 350 pieces.

Frederique Constant has consistently offered good value to entry-level collectors. There's a lot to like when it comes to the level of watchmaking you get, especially when you consider the value placed on in-house calibers these days. The brand has figured out how to take things like the FC-700 base caliber and twist it to fit a lot of different applications. This means that if you dig through FC's extensive lineup, you'll likely find an affordable and enjoyable option to suit your needs. 

The new Classic Power Reserve Big Date Manufacture wouldn't be my first choice from the brand (that would still be the Highlife World Timer), but the specs seem to check the correct boxes across the board. It might seem a bit thick at 12.19mm (kudos to the brand for being THAT specific), but to have a crown-adjusted watch with date, moon phase, and 50 hours of power reserve all at a sub-$5,000 price seems, well, like a steal. The watch in gold seems a bit of a stretch, but then again, the material costs a lot more.

One thing to note is that the limited pictures of the movement show the movement with the text reading "FC-700" and "26 Jewels" in one photo and "32 Jewels" in another. That text is updated to the appropriate caliber on the other FC watches I've seen, which makes me think that someone dropped in a photo of a placeholder for a mockup. Frederique Constant's finishing is pretty consistent across the board, though, so I think the photo is representative of what we should expect at the end of the day – okay finishing but affordable and offering a lot of watchmaking for the money. 

Brand: Frederique Constant
Model: Classic Power Reserve Big Date Manufacture
Reference Number: FC-735G3H9 (rose gold with grey dial), FC-735N3H6 (steel with blue dial), FC-735S3H6 (steel with white dial)

Diameter: 40 mm
Thickness: 12.19mm
Case Material: 18k rose gold or steel
Dial Color: Grey dial, blue dial, or white dial, all with sunray finishing
Indexes: Applied diamond cut indexes
Lume: None

Caliber: FC-735
Functions: Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Big date, Power Reserve Indication, Moonphase
Power Reserve: 50 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 bph
Jewels: 32 jewels
Additional Details: All functions adjustable by the crown, Perlage & circular Côtes de Genève decorations

Price: $4,995 in steel, $19,995 in 18k rose gold
Availability: November
Limited Edition: Yes, the rose gold is limited to limited to 350 pieces

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