Frederique Constant Unveils Limited Edition Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Manufacture
In celebration of its New York boutique opening.
In a culmination of its 35th anniversary, Swiss watchmaker Frederique Constant has opened a new store on New York’s iconic Fifth Avenue, marking the occasion with the release of an exclusive limited edition watch.
The new store, located at 605 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, near the Rockefeller Center, is part of Citizen Watch America’s first multi-brand store in the U.S. The Citizen Flagship Store New York, a three-story establishment designed by architect Ken Park, showcases brands under Citizen Group including Citizen, Bulova, Accutron, Frederique Constant and Alpina. The first two floors feature an array of collections, while the third floor, opening in 2024, is dedicated to archives and event spaces.
The highlight of the opening is Frederique Constant’s Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Manufacture, limited to just 88 examples. Encased in a 41-millimeter steel body, the timepiece boasts a striking blue dial that is designed to represent the Highlife collection’s modernity, blended with the classic elegance of a tourbillon complication.
In pursuit of versatility, the watch comes with interchangeable straps — wearers can choose from nubuck calfskin, steel or rubber straps, each easily switchable without tools.
The dial is designed to provide clear readability, featuring month, date and day indicators at strategic positions and a unique leap year display. The tourbillon, positioned at 6 o’clock, is a visual centerpiece, showcasing the intricate escapement system. The design also includes the Highlife collection’s signature globe engraving, luminous hour and minute hands, as well as hour markers floating above the globe motif.
The FC-975 Manufacture calibre, visible through the sapphire caseback, is also a notable aspect of the watch and exemplifies Swiss craftsmanship. It features circular-grained and Côtes de Genève finishes, with a 38-hour power reserve and 100 meters of water resistance. While the price has yet to be revealed at the time of writing, it is assumed that the limited edition watch will be exclusively available via the maker’s New York boutique.
