iW Magazine Spring 2020 | Page 85

Specifications: Frederique Constant Flyback Chronograph Manufacture, brown dial Reference: FC-760CHC4H4 Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, flyback chronograph, date adjustable by hand, tachymeter Movement: FC-760 Manufacture caliber, automatic, flyback chronograph with date adjustable by the crown, perlage & circular Côtes de Genève decoration on the movement, 32 jewels, 38-hour power reserve, 28’800 alt/h Case: 42mm rose-gold-plated polished and satined stainless steel 3-parts case, glass box sapphire crystal, see-through caseback. Water-resistant to 50 meters Dial: Brown dial with applied rose gold plated indexes, hand-polished rose- gold-plated hands Strap: Dark brown alligator leather strap Specifications: Frederique Constant Flyback Chronograph Manufacture, blue dial Reference: FC-760NS4H6 Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, flyback chronograph, date adjustable by hand, tachymeter Frederique Constant adds a sportier two-tone look to its flyback chronograph. THE FREDERIQUE CONSTANT FLYBACK CHRONOGRAPH MANUFACTURE HAS EARNED ACCOLADES AS POSSIBLY the best-value flyback chronograph watch on the market with a manufacture movement (FC-760). This 42mm watch debuted in 2017 priced less than $4,000, and still might be the only such chronograph available at such an attractive price ($4,295 for the current offering). With the flyback, the chronograph’s hand can be stopped, reset to zero, and restarted with one push of a button. The function allows for timing an elapsed interval of events during races. Frederique Constant spent six years developing the caliber prior to its debut, when the brand touted the modular design as one of the most efficient available as it requires only 96 of its 233 components to be dedicated to the flyback function. But it’s not simply the watch’s ultra-efficient star-shaped column-wheel flyback chronograph caliber that draws enthusiasts. The Frederique Constant Flyback Chronograph Manufacture’s retro-inspired dial and case design also plays a role in advancing the watch’s popularity. Initially offered with a more classical Roman numeral dial, the watch is now being offered with its first two-tone dial variations and with the applied, beveled hour markers we’ve seen on this watch in recent years. Frederique Constant is unveiling the two new options with silvered counters and darker (blue or brown) surrounding dials, echoing the contrasts seen on many chronographs of the 1960s and 1970s. The sportier treatment sets the dial’s three-counters (date, 30-minute counter and small seconds) in stronger contrast to the dial, which also features baton indices and luminous hands. In the first version, the three counters are set against a chocolate-colored dial with a 42-mm rose-gold case. The second model features a blue dial with a stainless-steel case. All are fitted with an alligator strap with a deployant clasp stamped with the Frederique Constant logo. Price: $4,295. Movement: FC-760 Manufacture caliber, automatic, flyback chronograph with date adjustable by the crown. Perlage & circular Côtes de Genève decoration on the movement, 32 jewels, 38-hour power reserve, 28’800 alt/h Case: 42mm polished and satined stainless steel 3-parts case, glass box sapphire crystal, see-through caseback. Water-resistant up to 50 meters Dial: Navy dial with applied silver indexes, hand-polished silver hands Strap: Blue alligator leather strap SPRING 2020 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | 85