Frederique Constant Takes Us Around the World with Two New Classic Worldtimer Manufacture Limited Editions

The worldtimer doesn’t just remain a crucial and practical complication to master but also a poetic and intriguing way of contemplating the world.

I could stare for hours at the tiny dial maps observing the ballet of rings and trying to guess the mysteries of the modern worldtimer movement created by Louis Cottier in 1931 when the prospect of intercontinental travel first became possible. The time was ripe for brands such as Vacheron Constantin (with its ref. 3372) or Patek Philippe (with the ref. 515 HU) to start producing the first universal time wristwatches.

But in the last decade, the Classic Worldtimer Manufacture from Frederique Constant has become one of my favorites.

The mechanical principles behind a worldtimer movement haven’t changed much since its creation. The city names orbit the border of the dial above an inner 24-hour ring that turns counterclockwise. This ring’s movement coordinates the time in all the time zones, and the hands indicate the time in your current location.
 

But when Frederique Constant released the first worldtimer in the brand’s history in 2012, it was a sign of the brand’s long-term commitment to not only watchmaking and accessible luxury but the brand’s commitment to an overall ease of use. Why? Because instead of placing a pusher that controls the time zones at 2 o’clock, Frederique Constant simplified the whole process and moved the controls for the entire watch to the crown.
 

And by “entire watch,” I mean setting the local time, the date, and the worldtimer.

Of course, this centralization of operations was only made possible via the brand’s in-house FC-718 automatic calibre with 139 components and a 38-hour power reserve. Moreover, the FC-718 demonstrates the expertise acquired by Frederique Constant’s watchmakers over more than 15 years of designing and assembling the brand’s movements.
 

It is no wonder that, of all its collections, the Classic Worldtimer Manufacture models are among Frederique Constant’s best-selling timepieces. “Indeed, the Classics Worldtimer Manufacture has been the best-selling timepiece of Frederique Constant since it was created in 2012, offering a well-balanced quality-to-price ratio,” Frederique Constant’s Managing Director Niels Eggerding told Watchonista. “This watch features a classic yet sport chic aesthetic, and it is equipped with a useful function powered by the FC-718 movement designed, developed and assembled within our Manufacture’s workshops.”

Available now, the 18K pink gold version (FC-718NWWM4H9) is limited to 88 pieces and priced at $18,995, while the stainless steel version (FC-718NWWM4H6), which is limited to 1,888 pieces, is priced at $4,495. For more information, visit the Frederique Constant website.
 

(Photography by Liam O'Donnell)