A Dutchman who came to Switzerland via Hong Kong
His great-grandfather was already making dials. In 1988 his great-grandson Peter Stas, previously a successful business expert in Hong Kong, entered a fiercely competitive watch market with bold courage and international business experience and, together with his wife Aletta, founded a manufacture that stands out from others in many respects. Their attachment to the company is reflected in its name, composed of the first names of her great-grandmother and his great-grandfather. Today the brand has long been playing on equal terms in the same concert as Vacheron Constantin, Parmigiani and Piaget. More than 150,000 pieces a year leave Plan-les-Ouates – right next door to Rolex and Patek Philippe – for destinations all over the world; the company itself reports annual growth of more than 20 percent. Mon Dieu, where will it all end?
Everybody’s darling? Here it almost holds true
What exactly is luxury? Every era had its own interpretation. The ancient Romans of the late period, with their decadent leanings, brought enjoyment and savoir-vivre into considerable disrepute – for instance when they tucked diamonds behind the gills of their favourite carp in the ponds of their summer residences on the Gulf of Sorrento. Later centuries preached austerity, yet luxurious living never went entirely out of fashion, although it was always a question of ethics as well. A watch brand as refined and thoughtfully designed down to the last detail as Frederique Constant does not cater to the mass market. But neither does it aim for the elitist, attainable only by a few. Company founder Peter Stas made a conscious decision to breathe new life into the term “luxury watch”. His brand occupies the “accessible luxury” segment and sets itself apart from the brands that genuinely carry celebrity appeal on their nameplate – which certainly has its justification too. Lovers of the attainable understand luxury as the pursuit of the best possible, the opposite of “vulgarity” (as the grande dame Coco Chanel once put it), an insistence on traditional craftsmanship, the uncompromising preservation of authentic character and constant perfection.
The brand of elegant understatement
The fact that the handcrafted luxury watches from Frederique Constant also stand out pleasantly from competitors in terms of price secures the house a special clientele: Personalities with a pronounced sense of style, distinguished elegance, an unostentatious manner and a near-total absence of status thinking. Frederique Constant watches are collected, sought after, revered and quite simply worn on the wrist. Not something locked away in a safe, but enjoyed every day with appreciation and without fuss. And yet with the exhilarating feeling of owning a true treasure. When the company itself speaks of wanting to “democratise luxury”, it has a younger, stylish clientele in mind. These buyers put together their outfits consciously and selectively but at a “normal” level and complement them intelligently with carefully chosen pieces and refined accessories. The triad “my chalet, my yacht, my Jaguar” hardly applies to them.
A small horological marvel – classic and timeless, perfected yet practical
In 2001, with its Heart Beat movement developed together with watchmaking schools, Frederique Constant set its sights on the inner circle of Swiss watch manufactures that create and produce their products themselves. From then on, the still young company continuously proved its reputation as a creative forge of innovative movements. At the headquarters near Geneva, all threads now came together on 3,200 square metres of floor space: Design studio, production of calibre components, assembly and state-of-the-art quality control. In 2008 the company presented the Tourbillon manufacture movement with a silicon escape wheel that weighed only 1/5 as much as conventional stainless steel and required no lubrication. In 2009 the Maxime Manufacture Automatic FC-700 calibre caused a stir across the industry. At the same time, the manufacture unveiled a new type of case in which straight lines and rounded surfaces, matt and polished parts, silver elements and the finest leather straps combine harmoniously. Also in 2009 came the development of a new base calibre that reduced production costs by 35 percent and made Frederique Constant luxury watches available at retail for less than 2,000 euros. At BASELWORLD 2015 the industry marvelled at the Slimline Manufacture, which impressed with more delicate proportions at the usual high technical level. Not every wrist suits the XXL dimensions of a U-BOAT watch. With its 38 mm case, the Slimline Moonphase Manufacture is popular with gentlemen and ladies alike, even though only the ladies’ models sparkle with more than 60 stunning diamonds.
Frederique Constant at HORANDO – luxury watches online and in the showroom
As an authorised dealer with close ties to the Swiss company, HORANDO has the ambition to bring them all together in its range: The Classic Heart Beat Date, the Rally Healey, the Runabout Chronograph, the Horological Smart Watch, the Classics Moon Phase and the Business Timer. Naturally also the Maxime Manufacture Slim Line in a rose gold-plated steel case. Its dial shines with silver hands and diamond indices; hours, minutes, date and moon phases can all be adjusted via a single crown. Despite its spectacular appearance, the Slimline Moonphase is also water-resistant. Anyone with a particularly close relationship with their Frederique Constant will occasionally glance through the sapphire crystal caseback at the busily working Swiss movement from the house’s own workshop. The immense success of the Moonphase with men and women alike builds anticipation as to which new development the manufacture already has in the pipeline as its next innovation. HORANDO will learn about it early and share it with its loyal clientele. Given convenient and secure ordering processes, it is hardly surprising any more that buying luxury watches online has risen so much in buyers’ favour. At the same time, prospective buyers are returning to a way of shopping associated with a cosy retro feeling. With its showroom in Bamberg, HORANDO has fulfilled a long-cherished wish of its own. The main reason was the experience that prospective buyers are willing to travel long distances to see for themselves on site. Isn’t approaching a material object of desire with care almost like a courtship? Appetite, after all, comes (also) from looking and touching.
Frederique Constant models at HORANDO:
Classics, Constant Classics Automatic, Highlife, Ladies Automatic, Manufacture, Monolithic, Rose Gold, Runabout, Vintage Rally, Women, Moon phase, Flyback, Worldtimer
