Frederique Constant have teamed up with British watchmaker Peter Speake (a name you may recognise from the brand he founded, Speake-Marin) to create the latest timepiece in their Manufacture collection of high end luxury and haute horology watches. The new watch is the Frederique Constant Slimline Perpetual Calendar ref. FC-775PS4S6, a steel coloured version of the DLC-coated watch they launched at the tail end of 2023. The new limited edition is one of the few skeletonised watches I’ve seen that manages to be understated.
The case of the Slimline Perpetual Calendar Manufacture is largely where the new edition differs from the previous version as it features bare steel in a 42mm diameter. It makes for a much more classical aesthetic as opposed to the sporty, urban vibe black coatings tend to give watches. Although steel isn’t exactly a true dress watch material such as white gold. However, steel is more robust than gold would be, which is a pretty substantial benefit in its own way. So, in my opinion it makes for the best of both worlds, classy and durable.
As for the dial, which was designed by Speake, it’s elegantly skeletonised with an openwork display showing the mechanics of the movement below. The use of a limited colour palette consisting of silver, anthracite and black is great, accented by the occasional prick of colour from either the blued screws or red tipped hands. The layout consists of central hours and minutes with days in a subdial at 9 o’clock, date at 3, months and leap year indicator at 12 and moonphase at 6. I like the execution of the leap year indicator because it’s disguised as the regular index for February except that in a leap year it turns red.
Visible through the Slimline Perpetual Calendar Manufacture in steel’s dial is the FC-775 automatic movement with 38-hour power reserve. A fairly low power reserve by most standards but not terribly uncommon for a power intensive complication like a perpetual calendar that’s operating half a dozen functions simultaneously. It’s also decorated with a combination of circular graining, perlage and Côtes de Genève, making it look fabulous from dial side or through the exhibition caseback. Through the caseback you can also see the blue rotor and the attribution that it was designed by Peter Speake.
Then we come to pricing and availability. The Slimline Perpetual Calendar Manufacture is £10,995 with only 135 pieces being produced. Overall, it’s a very refined and understated perpetual calendar, which plays into Peter Speake’s reserved personal style of watchmaking. Especially compared to watches like the Frederique Constant Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar that have more of that FC flavour. The Slimline Manufacture feels like a perpetual calendar you buy because you want a perpetual calendar rather than a perpetual calendar you buy because you want an expensive watch, which appeals to me on a level of horological appreciation.
Price and Specs:
More details at Frederique Constant.
