They appear designed to be elegant and not overly flashy – which I can appreciate – and legibility promises to be pretty good on both models, but especially the white-dial one.Īll the basic stats and details you should be looking for in this segment check out, of course: sapphire crystal, some texture and dimensionality to the dial, lumed hands and indices, and a see-through sapphire (that’s a bonus) caseback to display the Swiss automatic movement. That should give some wrist presence and machismo to their otherwise restrained personality. What may help these Frédérique Constant Runabout watches stand out a bit, and what may not be immediately clear from these images, is that the somewhat conservative designs come in a 43mm polished case. This picture should give you a basic idea of the kind of boats we are talking about and the lifestyle association they are going for: Past models included chronographs and moon phases, and these Frédérique Constant Runabout Automatic watches offer just three-hand time-telling, and the date at 6 o’clock. Frédérique Constant partnered in 2009 with the Italian non-profit organization that helps preserve these cool old boats, and the brand puts out limited-edition watches to honor the relationship each year. The Riva Historical Society provides the context for this batch of limited edition Frédérique Constant watches. So, there is a lot going on at Frédérique Constant, and looking at the brand, I think: “They are in it to win this game.” They are, at the very least, certainly worth keeping tabs on. And now, they have been acquired by Citizen Watches, which also puts them under the same expanding umbrella as Bulova, Arnold & Son, Angelus, and movement maker La Joux-Perret. The Frédérique Constant Group also has Alpina for sport watches and Ateliers DeMonaco for more haute horology stuff. Frédérique Constant has proven itself agile and dynamic, however, recently offering in-house movements, a “horological smartwatch,” a perpetual calendar watch for around 8,000 Swiss francs… all among their standard fare of good value for classic and mostly uncontroversially designed watches. The entry-level Swiss luxury watch market must be an incredibly intense space to operate in. So, with that imagery in mind, let’s consider how these Frédérique Constant Runabout watches fit into the brand that is so well-known for entry-level value. (Ref.These limited-edition Frédérique Constant Runabout Automatic watches are inspired by “gentlemen’s sport boats of the roaring twenties.” It’s important to explain this and emphasize their nautical, Italian nature as well as the wood and chrome runabout boats (“most commonly seen on the canals of Venice”) they are meant to reference – because otherwise they might be mistaken for just basic but handsome, three-hand automatic Swiss watches. The retail prices are $3,095 and $3,395, respectively. The rose gold model is paired with a brown crococalf strap and folding buckle. The steel version is paired with a blue crococalf strap and folding buckle. Limited edition of 2888 pieces per model. The watch is powered by automatic caliber FC-393, which is a Sellita based movement that runs at 4Hz, and has 25 jewels and a 46-hour power reserve. The rose gold-plated version has applied rose gold-plated Arabic numerals, with rose gold-plated Alpha-shaped hour and minute hands, and Superluminova.įunctions include hours, minutes, seconds, date and chronograph. The steel version has applied pearl black Arabic numerals, with silver Alpha-shaped hour and minute hands, and Superluminova.
The dial on both models is silvered with a guilloché decoration in the center. The glass is convex and has an anti-glare coating. The watches are 42 mm in diameter and are available in either steel or rose gold coated steel. Chris Crafts, Gar Woods and Rivas are three names seen most, with the latter being the most legendary.Īs an homage to this event, and to the legendary Riva brand, Frederique Constant produced two limited edition Chronographs that feature the Riva Historical Society flag on the case back glass, as well as being presented in a special collector’s box that includes a miniature vintage Riva wooden runabout boat. The event featured nearly 100 vintage and classic boat entries including runabouts, racers, utility boats and custom build wooden yachts. Frederique Constant, which has been the title sponsor for the Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance since 2010, unveiled two limited edition pieces at the 42nd annual wooden boat show on August 8th in Lake Tahoe, CA.
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