A Dutchman who came to Switzerland via Hong Kong

The great-grandfather already manufactured dials. The great-grandson Peter Stas, previously successful as an economic expert in Hong Kong, founded a manufactory in 1988 on a fiercely competitive watch market with bold courage and international business experience and together with his wife Aletta, it stands out from the rest in many features. The attachment to his company is reflected in the composition of the company name from the first names of her great-grandmother and his great-grandfather. Today, the brand has long been at eye level with Vacheron Constantin, Parmigiani and Piaget. Plan-les-Ouates - in the immediate vicinity of Rolex and Patek Philippe - produces more than 150,000 copies per year all over the world, and the company itself speaks of annual growth of over 20 percent. Mon Dieu, where else is this going?

Everybody's Darling? Here it's almost true

What is luxury? Each epoch had its own reading. With their decadent tendencies, the ancient Romans of late times brought pleasure and lifestyle into disrepute, for example when they put their favourite carp behind the gills in the ponds of the summer residences on the Gulf of Sorrent Brillis. Later centuries postulated barrenness, yet luxurious life never completely went out of fashion, but was also always a question of ethics. A watch brand as designated and well thought-out in every detail as Frédérique Constant does not serve the mass public. But neither does she look for the elitist, only for the few who can be reached. Company founder Peter Stas deliberately decided to revitalise the term "luxury watch". His brand occupies the segment "attainable luxury" and distinguishes itself from the brands that actually carry the celebrity factor in the company sign - which has its justification. Lovers of the attainable understand luxury as the striving for the best possible, the opposite of "ordinariness" (as the grande dame Coco Chanel already put it), the knocking on traditional manual work, uncompromising preservation of the unadulterated character and constant perfection.

The brand of elegant understatement

The fact that Frédérique Constant's handmade luxury watches also stand out from the competition in terms of price ensures a special clientele for the company: personalities with a pronounced sense of style, distinguished elegance, an unspectacular appearance and an almost complete absence of status thinking. Frédérique Constant watches are collected, sought, revered and simply worn on the wrist. Nothing you lock in a safe, but enjoy with appreciation every day and unexcited. And yet in the exhilarating feeling of owning a precious object. When the company itself talks about "democratizing luxury", it has its sights set on a younger and stylish consumer class. She assembles her outfits consciously and selectively, but on a "normal" level, intelligently fitting them with selected parts and noble accessories. The triad "My Chalet, my Yacht, my Jaguar" rather does not apply to them.

A small watch miracle - classic-timeless, perfected yet practicable

In 2001, Frédérique Constant took a look at the Inner Circle of Swiss watchmakers who create and produce their own products with his Heart Beat movement, developed in collaboration with watch schools. From then on, the still young company continuously proved its reputation as a creative forge of innovative movements. In the headquarters near Geneva, all the threads now came together on an area of 3,200 square meters: Design studio, production of calibre components, assembly, state-of-the-art quality control. In 2008, the company presented the Tourbillon movement with a silicon escapement wheel that weighed only 1/5 of conventional stainless steel and did not require oil lubrication. In 2009, the Maxime Manufacture Automatic FC-700 caliber caused a sensation throughout the industry. At the same time, the manufactory presented a new type of housing in which straight lines harmoniously combine with rounded surfaces, matt and glossy parts, silver elements and the finest leather straps. This was followed in 2009 by the development of a new basic calibre, which reduced production costs by 35 percent and made Frédérique Constant luxury watches available to retailers at a price of less than 2,000 euros. At BASELWORLD 2015, the industry was amazed at the Slimline Manufacture, which impressed with its more delicate shapes at the usual high technical levels. Not every wrist can tolerate the XXL dimensions of a U-BOAT watch. The Slimline Moonphase Manufacture with its 38mm case is popular with Gents and Ladies, even if only the ladies models shine with over 60 stupendous diamonds.

Frédérique Constant at HORANDO - luxury watches on the Internet and in the showroom

As a concessionaire, HORANDO has the ambition to unite them all in its product range: the Classic Heart Beat Date, the Rally Healey, the Runabout Chronograph, the Horological Smart Watch, the Classics Moon Phase and the Business Timer. Of course also the Maxime Manufacture Slim Line in a steel case coated with red gold. The dial features silver hands and diamond indices, and a single crown allows hours, minutes, date and moon phases to be adjusted. Despite its spectacular appearance, the Slimline Moonphase is also waterproof. Those who have a particularly close relationship with their Frédérique Constant will occasionally take a look through the sapphire crystal back at the bustling Swiss movement from the company's workshop.The immense success of the moon phase with both genders makes us wonder which new development the manufactory is already keeping in the pipeline as the next innovation. HORANDO will find out early on and let its regular clientele participate in it. The fact that luxury watch purchases on the Internet have become so popular with buyers is hardly surprising in view of the convenient and secure ordering processes. At the same time, potential buyers are returning to a buying behaviour that is associated with a comfortable retro feeling. With the stationary showroom in Bamberg, HORANDO has fulfilled a long-cherished wish for itself. Priority was the experience that prospective customers go also far ways around itself locally a picture to make. Isn't it almost like courtship to gently approach a material object of desire? The appetite just comes (also) when looking at and feeling.