ONLY WATCH 2011: a new website, with all the watches (except for those that arrived late).

22 June 2011 –  article from businessmontres.com/

Thirty-nine watch brands - including Frederique Constant - lined up for a discreet creative contest to make a direct contribution to scientific research budgets into Duchenne muscular dystrophy: the website is open, but not everyone is on the starting blocks yet.

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Yes, some watches are slow – and we cannot have that!

 

••• THE ONLY WATCH 2011 GATHERING (MONACO, 22ND SEPTEMBER, UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF H.S.H. PRINCE ALBERT II).

Every two years, the Only Watch auction sale is the big watch gathering of the autumn. Ideally placed during the Monaco Yacht Show, Only Watch focuses the attention of the profession and collectors from all over the world on the creative offerings of thirty to forty brands – who play this “contest” game with various degrees of skill.

••• The Only Watch website is now open, though still missing some of the watches that will go under the hammer of Julien Schaerer (Antiquorum). Many firms are late, still putting the final touches to their 2011 “world beaters”– some with justification, others less so. This is why your Watches Daily has not yet published its regular “Only Watch, instructions for use” and its critical assessment of 2011’s offerings: we will wait until we have everything in view.

••• While waiting, an excellent idea: the Frédérique Constant Manufacture – which is not planning to compete with the creativity of the hyper-watches of the specialists – has taken its concept of a family watch to the logical conclusion by bringing out a series for “Mister, Missus and the children, a boy and a girl”, making up the ideal French family (see image above). These days, the brand is coming up with multi-generational collections created for all the members of the family. This segmentation by age group used to be common in watchmaking, but it was

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abandoned in the 1980s and was not really taken up again.

 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION during this “News” sequence.

••• Agree, disagree? Do you have any comments, news updates or additional information to share?

Click on the name “GRÉGORY PONS” at the bottom of the page to send your message by e-mail...

Business Watches & Jewellery, the international watch market newsletter.

Quai du Seujet, 16 - CH-1201 Genève (Switzerland). Tel: +41 79 800 23 08.

Director of publication and managing editor: Grégory Pons

FREDERIQUE CONSTANT: This “Mister 100,000 watches” doesn’t do anything like everyone else – maybe that’s his secret....

20 June 2011 –  article from businessmontres.com/

Honestly, looking back a few years, who would have put their money on an independent Swiss watch group founded by a Dutch couple working the (supposedly impossible) affordable watch segment?

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Yet by reinventing their market, Peter and Aletta Stas have finally managed to turn their different vision into reality.

1) ••• “LIVE YOUR PASSION”:

FRÉDÉRIQUE CONSTANT + ALPINA + ATELIERS dEMONACO...

Peter Stas is one of those watchmakers known for his rare equanimity: doesn’t he ever get carried away? Even time doesn’t seem to alter his smile and courtesy: this placid Dutchman personifies discreet watchmaking, piling up the successes without media hype, with a clear vision buoyed by passion and borne out by results. His wife Aletta also wears the same imperturbable smile: together, the two of them have written one of the prettiest watchmaking stories of recent years.

••• A story that has developed so smoothly it is hard to put a finger on how it happened, moving forward in a sort of permanent crossfade, driven by strong convictions continuously checked by reality. Peter and Aletta Stas have chosen to advance at a realistic pace, without a lot of fanfare: like their Dutch compatriots, they have been able to make fertile polders out of the marshlands of the watchmaking lowlands – territories once presumed lost to Asian cloners.

••• Indeed, with hindsight, we might well ask whether this disinformation concerning the unstoppable upscaling of Swiss brands was not some red herring intended to isolate Tissot, a brand that had never done so well until everybody else moved up market! Peter and Aletta Stas had the sense to resist these siren calls and stay true to their initial concept of “affordable luxury”. In any case, they have built their success by stages:

• 1988: launch of the first Frédérique Constant collection (quartz), a critical success that encouraged them to continue the adventure of the “quality watch to suit the younger person’s budget”.

• 1992: slowly but surely, output rose to 300 pieces per year.

• 1994: creation (without patent) of the Heart Beat collection, pioneer in a whole new generation of “open heart” dials [the Zenith ones were to follow much later].

• 2001-2004: development of the Manufacture’s first movement, designed to suit the logic of the “Heart Beat” aesthetic (with visible hairspring and escapement wheel).

• 2002: buyout of Alpina, an old Swiss brand founded in 1883 and positioning of its collections in the sports design niche.

• 2006: building of the Manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates, just as Frédérique Constant’s total production reached 48,000 watches.

• 2009: launch of an in-house calibre (FC-700) and a silicon escapement, entirely made in-house.

• 2010: Frédérique Constant’s production reached 100,000 watches

• 2009: creation of the brand Ateliers deMonaco in Monaco, a high end manufacture of the Frédérique Constant Group .

• 2011: the Frédérique Constant brand expected to put 125,000 watches on the market (including 10,000 Alpina and some tens of watches from the Ateliers deMonaco). Frédérique Constant watches are distributed in 2,500 sales outlets and over 90 countries worldwide.

2) ••• PETER STAS:

“CONSISTENCY, COHERENCE, PRAGMATISM AND PERSEVERANCE”...

••• Business Watches: This watch adventure: for money or for love?

••• Peter Stas: “A true passion – since 1988, we have given our all for watches – and a true vision of what we wanted to do: create watches worthy of the great Swiss tradition, but at affordable prices to reach a younger generation of aficionados. We were able to fulfil our dreams and launch Frédérique Constant, to establish it as a real Manufacture, in line with our original plan.”

••• Business Watches: The secret of this success?

••• Peter Stas: “It is precisely this strategic consistency: we kept to the same guidelines from the days we were selling a few hundred pieces right up to when we reached 125,000 by the end of 2011. Another secret: pragmatism and perseverance in moving the project forward. Everything we did was done with economy of means, without bank loans and keeping nearly 95 % of the capital in our own hands [Peter et Aletta Stas]. This taste for independence and concern for consistency have always been our guiding principles.”

••• Business Watches: What missions have you in mind for Alpina and Ateliers deMonaco?

••• Peter Stas: “The original idea was to buy out Alpina (established in 1883) in order to provide an affordable alternative in sports watches with quality design and standards. We thus positioned the brand slightly higher, without realising that on this higher segment, heavy artillery was needed to fight the competition on equal terms. Since then the market has hardened! In order to avoid running out of steam and topping out at a level of 10,000 watches per year, we will reposition Alpina at even more affordable price levels, very close to those of Frédérique Constant (1,000-2,000 euros) in order to up sales to 25,000 watches per year. We will also put the accent on everything to do with aviation, thanks to our partnerships with Cessna and PrivatAir, but without giving up on our other established market areas (sailing and adventure).

• “Ateliers deMonaco is a brand we developed to stay ‘consistent’ and ‘coherent’. The success of the Frédérique Constant tourbillon called for other high-end complications, but the risk of cluttering our image made the choice clear: no way would we bring out a Frédérique Constant minute repeater. Rather than buying out another ‘Sleeping Beauty’, we decided to create Ateliers deMonaco for the high-end watches, setting it up from the word go in Monaco, the international byword in luxury. Negotiations with the Monegasque government were long but decisive. We work the complications with the Netherlands school of watchmaking, but the strength of our design makes us very exclusive.”

••• Business Watches: And your logistical independence?

••• Peter Stas: “When we sensed the danger of decreased deliveries of ETA movements from the Swatch Group we decided to develop our own Manufacture, also with the idea of getting a better handle on costs to be able to stay in the affordable watches segment. Over the years, we have been progressively replacing our ETA movements with Sellita calibres. As regards balance-springs, I seem to recall that the Swatch Group’s current monopoly (Nivarox + FAR) was only accepted by the competition authorities on condition the group undertake to supply all the Swiss watch industry without restriction. A new Comco inquiry is under way, but, as far as we are concerned, we are already working in collaboration on total mastery of the escapement (wheel, pallet, balance, balance-spring).”

3) ••• THREE SPECIAL EDITIONS

FOR THE 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MANUFACTURE IN PLAN-LES-OUATES

 

One group, three brands, one Manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates (between Piaget, Harry Winston, Vacheron Constantin, Rolex and Patek Philippe!), a collection of in-house calibres, high-end watch workshops (from the tourbillon to the minute repeater) and 125,000 watches announced for the end of 2011: bit by bit the Frédérique Constant project has grown in size – still without affecting Peter Stas’s mood. To celebrate the fifth year of setting up shop alongside the big boys, he asked his three brands to come up with a commemorative watch:

• Frédérique Constant came up with a self-winding tourbillon (calibre FC-980: silicon escapement) with grand feu enamelled dial, in a 42 mm pink gold case (see image above): with a day/night hand indication. But it is a shame the dial of this limited edition of 188 pieces is so cluttered with unnecessary markings (“tourbillon – grand feu – série limitée”).

• Alpina launched a very effective limited edition of 888 pieces of a pink gold automatic Startimer (44 mm).

• Ateliers deMonaco unveiled its first ladies watch, La Sirène, a piece of fine watchmaking set with gems evoking the King Protea, the national flower of South Africa, home country of the future princess of

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Monaco (it was a BusinessWatches revelation in the 10th April issue).

Business Watches & Jewellery, the international watch market newsletter.

Quai du Seujet, 16 - CH-1201 Genève (Switzerland). Tel: +41 79 800 23 08.

Director of publication and managing editor: Grégory Pons

Frederique Constant Only Watch 2011

 

A unique Family Set of Timepieces by Frederique Constant will be auctioned on September 22nd, 2011 at 4pm GMT in Monaco. It gives us great pleasure to announce that Swiss luxury watchmaker, Frédérique Constant will once again take part in the "ONLY WATCH 2011" auction to be held in Monte Carlo, Monaco on 22 September 2011, under the high patronage of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco.

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As in previous years, all participating watch brands will rally around a single cause: contributing to raising money for the Association Monégasque Contre les Myopathies (Monaco Association against Myopathies), an association that undertakes research on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a rare genetic disorder affecting one in every 3’500 baby boys. Each watchmaker will donate one (or multiple) unique timepiece(s), created especially for the occasion.

‘During the period 2009-2010, in excess of EUR 3 million were paid out to 15 scientific partners and their teams of 90 researchers and clinicians based in five different countries: United States, France, Italy, the UK and Switzerland. It is extraordinary to be able to make such a major contribution to the development of new therapeutic treatments for sufferers of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy’ said Luc Pettavino.

Participating for the third year, the Geneva watchmaker Frédérique Constant will be donating a ‘Unique Family Set of Unique Pieces’ to the auction. This set consists of four timepieces, one for each member of a family.

The father will receive a ‘Maxime Manufacture Automatic’ in 18-carat pink gold with a delicate silver sunray dial and brown leather strap, while the new, supremely elegant ‘Amour Heart Beat Ladies Automatic’ watch in 18-carat pink gold with vanilla finish will seduce all mothers alike. The children

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won’t feel left out, as they will be able to sport their very first Swiss watch, designed to fit them perfectly. The ‘Frederique Constant Juniorâ Lady’ in steel with a diamond-set bezel is perfect for the daughter in search of the perfect accessory, while the ‘Frederique Constant Juniorâ Chronograph’ with its silver dial and eye-catching red hour markers will appeal to the son. Naturally, each of these four timepieces will have the words, ‘Only Watch 2011 – Family Set Unique Piece’ engraved on its case back. The watches will come together in a single, beautifully handcrafted family box, bearing an engraved plaque commemorating ONLY WACTH 2011.

Prior to going up for auction, with all proceeds going to the aforementioned association, at a sale to be held in Monaco on 22^nd September, the "Family Set Unique Piece” will go on display in the following locations around the globe between 30^th August and 17^th September:

30^th August   Singapore The Hour Glass -  302 Orchard Road - #11-01 Tong Building - Singapore 238862 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

1^st September Hong Kong Antiquorum Auctioneers Ltd. - 9 Queen’s Road, Suite 704 - Central, Hong Kong 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

3^rd September   Shanghai Antiquorum Shanghai - Room 4106B, Bund Center Office Tower - 222 Yan An Road East -Shanghai 200002   10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

5^th September   Beijing location to be confirmed 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

7^th September   Tokyo The Hour Glass Tokyo 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

9^th September   Los Angeles Westime Beverly Hills - 254 North Rodeo Drive - Beverly Hills, California 90210 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

15^th September   Milan Orologerio Luigi Verga - Via Mazzini angolo via Dogana 3 - 20123 Milan 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

16^th & 17^th September   Geneva Antiquorum SA - 2, rue du Mont-Blanc - 1211 Geneva 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

21^st September   Monaco Monaco Yacht Show - Port Hercules – Monaco 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

22^nd September   Monaco Monaco Yacht Show - Port Hercules – Monaco 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

22^nd September   Monaco AUCTION: Salle Belle Epoque,  Hotel Hermitage 4 p.m.

At Frédérique Constant, we have always invested every ounce of our passion into the creation of our timepieces. In launching this Unique Family Set, our aim is to share our passion for watch making with the members of one family, while engaging them with our commitment to the Association Monégasque Contre les Myopathies.

At the same time, through this Unique Family Set, Frederique Constant emphasizes on the values that are behind the amazing success of the brand: passionate involvement, independent & family-owned, innovation, sincere and sensible.

Manufacture Tourbillon Grand Feu Celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Frederique Constant Manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva

Frédérique Constant is proud to introduce its new Manufacture Tourbillon Grand Feu. With its hand-enameled dial this will certainly become a highly sought-after rarity. Genuine enamel dials are nowadays made by only a handful of manufacturers with an incredibly rich tradition.

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Enameling is an ancient technique where finely powdered colored glass is applied to a metal plate. The metal plate with the glass powder is then backed in an oven, hot enough to melt the glass. This enameling process produces a beautiful deep, shiny surface.

Only few of the applied plates will survive the 900+ degree Celsius fire in

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the oven and produce an even surface. The slightest imperfection in the mixed powder, the supporting metal plate or a dust speckle will ruin the dial and the enameller has to start all over again.

Manufacture Tourbillon Caliber

Based on its award-winning Heart Beat Manufacture Calibre, Frédérique Constant developed its Tourbillon fully in-house with a number of unique features:

• Silicium (or Silicon) Escapement Wheel and lever


• Smart Weight Balancing


• Fast Oscillation at 28’800 BpH


• Tourbillon Cage individually numbered

 

 

Silicium (or Silicon) Escapement Wheel

The Silicium Escapement Wheel and Lever have the following three main advantages:

Improvement	Benefit
Lubricant-free running	1.  Age-related thinning and drying of lubrication will no longer occur

2.  An escapement wheel without oiling avoids the risk that oil spreads to other parts of the movement.Very light (low inertia)The escapement wheel is accelerated and

stopped at each tick and tock of the watch.

The lower weight silicium escapement wheel

has lower inertia, increasing energy efficiency.Good friction propertiesLower friction reduces loss of energy, hence

the energy requirement for the calibre is lower.

With its three main advantages compared to a regular escapement wheel, a Silicium escapement wheel is particularly useful in a Tourbillon mechanism.  The reduced weight of the Silicium escapement wheel and the better friction properties result in a substantially higher energy efficiency. As a result, the Frédérique Constant Tourbillon with Silicium escapement wheel has an amplitude of over 300 degrees in dial-up and dial-down positions. Even in the crown-down position, the amplitude is over 275 degrees, which is substantially better than the performance of other high-end tourbillons.

Smart Weight Balancing

The Frédérique Constant Tourbillon Cage consists of 80 individual parts. Each of these parts is produced to the highest possible tolerance, with a precision of 1-2 micron (0.001-0.002 mm). Many of the parts are produced on Frédérique Constant’s ultra precise CNC machines in Plan-les-Ouates. These CNC machines of the latest custom-made generation have a tolerance of 1 micron on the X and Y axes and 2 micron on the Z axe. Even with such a high degree of precision, it is impossible to have a 100% equal distribution of weight in the individual parts; for a Tourbillon to run accurately, an equal distribution of weight is essential. Frédérique Constant solved this problem by the patented “Smart Screw” system on the outer edge of the Tourbillon cage. At first, the Tourbillon cage is constructed with a slight over-weight opposite the Smart Screw system on the main Cage Wheel. Thereafter, a highly skilled watchmaker is able to balance the weight into the center of the Tourbillon cage by adding or exchanging tiny metal rings under the two screws on the main cage wheel. Typically, 8 hours are required for a watchmaker to adjust the tiny rings and balance the weight perfectly for the entire Tourbillon cage.

Fast Oscillation

The Frédérique Constant Tourbillon runs at 4 Hertz whereby the balance wheel beats 28’800 times per hour. Hence, in a Frédérique Constant Tourbillon, the balance wheel swings 28,800 times an hour and the gear train moves forward 691,200 times in 24 hours. In four years, this represents over one billion(!) impulses.

Most competing Tourbillons run at 3 Hertz only. The higher ‘Beats per Hour’ (BpH) enable a higher accuracy of the Tourbillon caliber. The higher oscillation also makes the caliber less susceptible to gyration effects.

Individually Numbered

Each Tourbillon cage is individually numbered to show the Limited Edition of 188 pieces. The minuscule top plate in the center of the Tourbillon cage is sequentially numbered during production on the Frédérique Constant CNC machine. The number on the cage will match the Limited Edition number on the case, making the combination of calibre and case unique.

Frederique Constant 5th Anniversary of the Manufacture

Last Thursday, June 16th, 2011, the Frédérique Constant Group celebrated the 5th Anniversary of its Manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva. The wonderful party, which took place in various tents in front of the Manufacture was attended by over 300 guests from around the globe.

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Distributors, Retailers, Brand Ambassadors, Members of the Press, Friends and the company’s Staff enjoyed a great night-long party, to celebrate the great success achieved by the Brands that the group consists of today: Frédérique Constant SA, Alpina Watch International SA and Ateliers deMonaco SA.

‘In 2006, we inaugurated our Manufacture and some of you were already present back then. At that time, of course we forecasted a significant growth of our production. However, nobody could have expected or even dreamed that today we are able to announce that our production grew over 250% in just five years time! We are honored and delighted to announce this great news, and we deeply thank all our partners -of which many are here tonight- for their never-failing support’ said Peter Stas, Co-Founder & CEO of the Group.

During the evening, Peter Stas revealed three special timepieces featuring in-house movements, one for each Brand. All of them specifically developed and produced to celebrate this Anniversary, and all of them released in Limited Editions.

Frédérique Constant launches the Manufacture Tourbillon in 18K Rose Gold, with a unique, white ‘Grand Feu’ enamel dial, limited at 188 pieces. Alpina releases the Startimer Pilot Manufacture in 18K Rose Gold, limited at 888 pieces. Last but not least, Ateliers deMonaco presents the very special ‘La Sirène’. This exclusive timepiece celebrates the entrance of dMc into the women’s high-end watch category. The dMc La Sirène, in 18K White Gold, is inspired by and named after Mrs. Charlene Wittstock, in honor of her marriage to HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco. Production is limited at 8 pieces.

The Frederique Constant Group works together with numerous Ambassadors that proudly endorse its Brands. Many of them were present to celebrate this milestone, among them the newest member of the family: Frederique Constant Ambassador Miss Earth 2010 & Miss India 2010, Ms. Nicole Faria. Nicole actively participated in one of the highlights of the evening: together with Aletta & Peter Stas, she led the Charity Auction benefiting the International Children’s Heart Foundation. The brand has been associated with this wonderful foundation for several years, through its global advertising campaign for the Chocolate Double Heart Beat Ladies’ Watch.

Two timepieces were auctioned off among the guests. First up was the last available Frederique Constant ‘Heart Beat Manufacture Edition Plan les Ouates’ (ref FC-910MC4H8). This is a rare limited edition of 188 pieces in 18K White Gold, launched in 2006 to commemorate the inauguration of the Manufacture Building. Second piece was a Chocolate Double Heart Beat (ref FC-310CDHB2PD4) worn by Nicole Faria and offered by her especially for the Charity Auction. Together, the two lots recorded an amount of US$ 24’250. Frédérique Constant gladly accepted these means towards a check of US$ 75'000, donated that same evening to the Founder & CEO of the International Children’s Heart Foundation, Professor Dr. Bill Novick.

Nicole Faria said: “I am delighted to be here tonight and proud to be part of the Frederique Constant family! I have noticed the successful development of this beautiful brand around the world, and in particular in my home country, India. Besides the fact that I will soon feature in the Ladies advertising campaign, tonight I have gladly participated in the Charity Auction, which was a great experience!”

To finish the official part of the evening, the team of the Frederique Constant Group expressed their wishes for the future, and mutually concluded that if they all continue to Live their Passion, a bright future lies ahead!

Live your Passion!

Miss Earth Nicole Faria - New Frederique Constant Ambassador

Frédérique Constant, the independent family owned watch manufacturer based in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, has signed Miss Earth Nicole Faria as global Brand Ambassador. [[MORE]] Frédérique Constant  hereby also seals its association with conservation and environmental projects in India as Nicole Faria is actively involved with earth-related initiatives. Frédérique Constant announced this partnership in Mumbai where it presented the stunning Nicole Faria a special Chocolate Double Heart Beat watch to commence their association.

Miss Earth Nicole Faria, now Brand Ambassador, Frédérique Constant, said, “Time has always fascinated me. I was amazed to hear of the fact that Frédérique Constant is a rare brand that supports earth-related initiatives. I strongly believe that this earth is a legacy that we need to pass on to future generations and the time to act is now. Similarly Frédérique Constant is a brand that one would like to pass on to Gen-Next as a legacy. From the fashionista point of view, its classical styles is exactly what the Indian customer requires today.”

Originally from Bangalore, Nicole Faria is passionate about modelling and improving the world. She strongly believes in the values of honesty, integrity and fair-play. Her dream is to leave a legacy of goodness, peace and happiness amongst people. She loves to learn from every experience and to grow in someway through everyone she meets. Some of her more memorable moments were when she won the Miss India crown in 2010 and later the Miss Earth title. Her hobbies include listening to music, dancing, reading and visiting orphanages.

Sebastien Cretegny, International Sales Manager, Frédérique Constant, said, “In India, we decided to do something daringly different. When we met Miss Earth Nicole Faria, we felt that there was a sharing of passion, especially when she spoke about her conservation projects. I am proud to announce that this is the first time that Frédérique Constant has associated with a beauty pageant icon anywhere in the world and it happened in India. We have seen that Miss Earth Nicole Faria is very passionate about earth-related social causes such as global warming, environment hazards, pollution, etc. Most of the target customers we associate with are involved with such causes and initiatives. There is a need to create more awareness in a country like India about various aspects of the earth-related issues. We have just taken a step ahead and there will be continuity in thought process.”

Live your Passion!