If you’re a fan of Swiss pieces, you’ve probably heard of the brand before. They’ve not been in the game for the longest, but they produce luxurious Swiss watches anyone would love. In our Frederique Constant watch review, we touched on some of their most notable units and answered some questions you may have.
They are one of the many manufacturers from Switzerland. This alone gives their devices prestige. They were founded in 1988 by Aletta Francoise Frédérique Stas-Bax and Peter Constant Stas.
Looking at their founders’ names, you might guess that they named the company after one another. To be exact, they named it after their great grandparents - Frédérique Schreiner and Constant Stas.
Their pieces all have classic looks to them. There are quite a few collections to choose from, though. This may be why Citizen, the Japanese watchmaking giant, took an interest in them. They purchased the manufacturer in 2016. If you didn’t know, the group also owns Bulova, Alpina, and CAMPANOLA.
Before diving into our review, give the following table a read. We summarized the entries on our list.
Our Pick
No products found.
The timepiece has a shiny black strap. It’ll probably be the first thing that catches your attention. It’s made out of leather. No surprise, it’s very high-quality. It’s croc-embossed, so it screams luxury.
The watch is a perfect size. Its case stretches 1.65 inches (42 mm) across. Speaking of its case, it’s surgical grade stainless steel. This makes the Men’s Runabout very waterproof. There’s also gold plated on.
The gold is on its dial too. You’ll see it on its hands and markers. What glass would you be peaking at its display through? An anti-reflective sapphire. If you didn’t know, sapphire is the toughest crystal around. It being anti-reflective is the cherry-on-top – you won’t blind yourself in bright settings.
You’ll love that it is water-resistant. It can handle 165 feet (50 meters). Such depths are fine for swimming. But you might not want to get it wet. Leather soaks like a sponge.
Touching on its strap again, taking it on and off your wrist is easy. A push-button deployant clasp is in place. It works exactly as its name suggests.
The FC393RM5B4 comes with chronographs. They are the two sub-dials on its face. If you don’t know what chronographs are, they are stop-clocks. The ones on the timepiece track the minutes and hours passed. You’ll be working them with the pushers on its sides. They are tactile.
Reading the device in dim-lit settings won’t be an issue. There’s Swiss luminous pigment on its hands. As there are large Arabic numerals on it, it’s made easier to read.
There’s a calendar in the 3 o'clock position which is magnified. If you have poor eyesight, you have nothing to worry about.
Of course, we have to talk about its movement. You’re looking at a Swiss automatic unit. The mechanism inside of it is the FC-393. This results in a 46-hour power reserve. The norm is 39 hours, which it’s well above.
What makes it special:
Its chronographs.
We love Moonphase watches. They showcase the phases of the moon on your wrist. Not only is this a cool trick, but you can hunt better. The phase of the moon pops up in the slit between its sub-dials.
No, its sub-dials aren’t chronographs. They are its calendars. The one on the left reads the day of the week, while the other tells you the date.
Like the entry above, you’re met with a glossy leather strap. It’s the first thing that caught our attention. It’s high-quality, so it feels like a dream on your arm.
There aren’t any Arabic numerals on its face. There are large Roman numerals instead. The timepiece has thin hands, so they don’t have any lume. If it’s any consolation, its seconds’ hand is bold. It’s a sharp-red arrow.
Yes, the FC-270SW4P6 is small. Its case only stretches 1.57 inches (40 mm) across. If you have larger wrists, you’d look like a giant with it on.
Did we mention the glass on its display? It is sapphire. This means that it’ll be very hard to crack. The glass on it is anti-reflective too - you can use it in the brightest of settings.
As it looks so good, you probably won’t want to get it wet. This is good as leather is the opposite of water-proof. However, the watch has a resistance rating of 165 feet (50 meters). You can swim with it if you want.
It is Swiss quartz. Quartz is better than automatic pieces, as they come with fewer parts, so they’re more reliable. Swiss quartz is superior to Japanese ones as they’re full of craftmanship. The specific mechanism inside of it is the FC-270. It comes with 5 jewels between its gears.
You normally don’t see quartz devices with jewels; they barely come with any gears. The very best ones do as their gears would run smoother, though. No, they aren’t real gems. They are pieces of glass.
What about its clasp? The tang-buckle type is in-place. You’ll have to fit its latch into one of its holes, but it’ll be hard if you have larger wrists.
What makes it special:
Its moon phase dial.
No products found.
The timepiece is the first fully stainless-steel watch on our list. As it’s made from metal, it’s heavier than the rest. This makes it feel even more premium. The watch makes use of surgical grade stainless steel, so denting it would be an issue. The material also makes it very water-proof.
The FC-259BR5B6B looks ultra-classic. It has a full-black display, while its body is a shiny silver. Its hour markers are Roman numerals. They are silver as well. They contrast against the dark dial well. Unfortunately, there’s no lume to them. There isn’t any pigment on its hands either.
You don’t have to look close to notice the two sub-dials on it. Like the entry above, they are its calendars. The sub-dial on the left tells you what day of the week it is. The one on the right tells you the date.
As its strap is metal, you may be wondering how big it is. It stretches 0.78 inches (20 mm) across. This isn’t too bad. The more stainless steel on your wrist, the more you’d sweat.
Maneuvering its band would be a breeze. There’s a push-button clasp present. If you remember, the FC393RM5B4 in our number one spot comes with it too.
How big is the timepiece? Its case is 1.53 inches (39 mm), so it’s small.
It is water-resistant. It can handle 165 (50 meters) underwater. As it’s made from high-quality stainless steel, rusting would never be an issue. As it’s so water-proof, nothing would ever get stuck to it. This is great if you regularly go hiking.
In terms of the glass on its display, it’s sapphire. Yes, it has an anti-reflective coat to it too.
You’re not looking at an automatic watch. The FC-259BR5B6B hosts a Swiss quartz movement. We, unfortunately, don’t know the name of the specific mechanism present. As Frederique Constant is all about quality, it’s probably a high-end movement.
We reviewed the timepiece’s full-metal variant. However, there are more choices to choose from. There’s one with a rose-gold case and brown leather strap.
What makes it special:
It’s made fully from surgical grade stainless steel.
If you want a grand looking piece, the FC-303MC4P5 is for you. It reminds us of a grandfather clock. This is primarily due to its hands and the way its case is shaped.
Like the majority of our entries, its strap is leather. It’s croc-embossed, so it looks and feels rich. It’s a deep brown that complements the gold on its face.
In terms of how big the watch is, its case is 1.57 inches (40 mm). As you saw with each watch we reviewed, Frederique Constant is not a fan of big devices. Their straps are not thick either.
You need no introduction to the glass on its windows. It’s an anti-reflective sapphire.
Similar to a grandfather clock, it has bold Roman numerals on it. The effect in the middle of its dial sells the illusion too. Sadly, there’s no lume in place. The pigment isn’t even on its hands.
The device is water-resistant. It can handle a 165-foot (50 meter) dip in the pool. Don’t forget what we said about getting the material on its band wet, though.
It is a Swiss automatic. That’s why its back is exposed. You get a good glimpse of its many gears in motion. The specific mechanism inside of it is the FC-303. It comes with 26 jewels and a 38-hour power reserve. 26 jewels are above the standard amount. It’s usually 16. Once again, they are pieces of glass.
What makes it special:
Its grand exterior
Having run through the brand’s best pieces, we thought of answering some questions you may have. They’ll give you a better glimpse of who you’re working with.
The company has its headquarters in Plan-les-Quates. Most of their watches are made there. The rest are made in Geneva. They are designed at the premises too. They have a thorough guide on how their watches are made on their site. It’s pretty informative, and gives you an idea of the process behind their products.
They boast a price-tag, so it’s no surprise that they’re very high-quality. As they’re a Swiss brand, watch enthusiasts are fans. This is especially true as their watches are made with craftsmanship.
We answered this question above. If you’re thinking of purchasing from them, know that even watch snobs give you their seal of approval.
If you want to make money off your watches, you shouldn’t pick the company’s pieces up. Although they aren’t cheap, they’re nowhere near as expensive as counterpart’s watches. Many of their timepieces are over $2000, but you’ll find more sensibly priced ones too, which won’t appreciate in value.
If you want a look at more Swiss pieces that won’t cost arms and legs, you might want to check out our Victorinox watch review. Their watches are even more on the affordable side of the spectrum. Tissot is up there too.
When picking their products up, you get a two-year coverage. Any manufacturing defects would be covered. To get a unit tended to, you’ll have to head over to an authorized center. You can only make use of their warranty if your card was signed by a representative of their team.
What do we think about the company? They produce Swiss timepieces that any enthusiast would love. They are luxurious yet not too expensive. Many of them share the same exterior, but the brand not getting adventurous with their designs is fine – if it isn’t broken, why fix it?
