A Dutchman who came to Switzerland via Hong Kong
The great-grandfather already manufactured watch dials. The great-grandson Peter Stas, previously successful as an economic expert in Hong Kong, founded a manufactory in 1988 with bold courage and international business experience in a highly competitive watch market together with his wife Aletta, which stands out from the rest in many ways. The connection 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 on an equal footing with Vacheron Constantin, Parmigiani and Piaget. More than 150,000 pieces a year are shipped from Plan-les-Ouates - in the immediate vicinity of Rolex and Patek Philippe - to all over the world, and the company itself speaks of annual growth of over 20 percent.Mon Dieu, where is this going to lead?
Everybody's darling? It's almost true here
What is luxury? Every era had its own interpretation. The ancient Romans of the late period brought pleasure and lifestyle into disrepute with their decadent tendencies, for example when they stuck diamonds behind the gills of their favorite carp in the ponds of the summer residences on the Gulf of Sorrento. Later centuries postulated austerity, but luxurious living never completely went out of fashion, but was always a question of ethics. A watch brand as sophisticated and thought out down to the last detail as Frederique Constant does not serve the mass public. But neither does it aim for the elitist, something only the few can achieve. Company founder Peter Stas consciously decided to revive the term "luxury watch". His brand occupies the "attainable luxury" segment and sets itself apart from brands that actually have the celebrity factor in their company name - which is certainly justified. Lovers of the attainable understand luxury as the pursuit of the best possible, the opposite of “ordinariness” (as the grande dame Coco Chanel already put it), the insistence on traditional craftsmanship, the uncompromising preservation of the authentic character and the constant pursuit of perfection.
The brand of elegant understatement
The fact that the hand-crafted luxury watches from Frederique Constant stand out from the competition in terms of price also ensures the company a special clientele: Here you will find personalities with a strong sense of style, distinguished elegance, unspectacular appearance and the almost complete absence of status thinking. Frederique Constant watches are collected, sought after, admired and simply worn on the wrist. Not something you lock away in a safe, but something you enjoy with appreciation every day and without fuss. And yet with the intoxicating feeling of owning a precious item. When the company itself talks about wanting to "democratize luxury", it has a younger and stylish group of buyers in mind. They put together their outfits consciously and selectively, but at a "normal" level and intelligently equip them with selected pieces and classy accessories. The triad "my chalet, my yacht, my Jaguar" does not really apply to them.
A small watch miracle – classic, timeless, perfected and yet practical
In 2001, Frederique Constant turned its attention to the inner circle of Swiss watch manufacturers who create and produce their own products when it developed the Heart Beat movement in collaboration with watchmaking schools. From then on, the still young company continuously proved its reputation as a creative forge of innovative watch movements. At the headquarters near Geneva, all threads now converged on 3,200 square meters of operational space: design studio, production of caliber components, assembly, state-of-the-art quality control. In 2008, the company presented thetourbillonManufacture movement with an escape wheel made of silicon, which weighed only 1/5 of the weight of conventional stainless steel and required no oil lubrication. In 2009, the Maxime Manufacture Automatic FC-700 caliber caused a stir throughout the industry. At the same time, the manufacturer presented a new type of case that harmoniously combines straight lines with rounded surfaces, matte and shiny parts, silver elements and the finest leather straps. In 2009, a new basic caliber was developed that reduced production costs by 35 percent and made Frederique Constant luxury watches available in retail stores for less than 2,000 euros. At BASELWORLD 2015, the industry was amazed by the Slimline Manufacture, which impressed with more delicate shapes while maintaining the usual high technical level. Not every wrist can handle the XXL dimensions of a U-BOAT watch. The Slimline Moonphase Manufacture with its 38 mm case is popular with gents and ladies, even though only the women's models shine with over 60 stupendous diamonds.
Frederique Constant at HORANDO – luxury watches online and in the showroom
As a concessionaire, HORANDO, with its close ties to the Swiss company, has the ambition to combine them all 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. And of course the Maxime Manufacture Slim Line in a steel case coated in rose gold. The dial shines with silver hands and diamond indices, and the hours, minutes, date and moon phases can be adjusted using a single crown. Despite its spectacular appearance, the Slimline Moonphase is also waterproof. Anyone who has a particularly close relationship with their Frederique Constant will occasionally take a look through the sapphire glass case back at the busily working Swiss movement from the company's workshop. The immense success of the Moonphase among both sexes creates excitement as to what new development the manufacturer has in the pipeline as the next innovation. HORANDO will find out early and let its regular clientele share in it. It is hardly surprising that buying luxury watches online has become so popular with buyers, given the convenient and secure ordering processes. At the same time, prospective buyers are returning to a buying behavior that is associated with a comfortable retro feeling. With the stationary showroom in Bamberg, HORANDO has fulfilled a long-held wish. The main experience was that prospective buyers will travel long distances to see for themselves on site. Isn't it almost like courting love to carefully approach a material object of desire? The appetite comes (also) from looking and feeling.
Frederique Constant models on Horando:
Classics,Highlife,Ladies Automatic,Limited Edition,Manufacture,Monolithic,Rose Gold,Runabout,Slimline,Vintage Rally,women,moon phase,flyback,Worldtimer
