Over 25 years since the first Heart Beat timepiece, many collectors still associate Frederique Constant with this distinctive design today, which reveals the inner workings of its movement at midday. Through this aperture, those who truly appreciate mechanical timepieces can watch the rotation of the balance wheel in their watch, its beating heart.
The story behind this discreet aperture at 12 o’clock has much to do with youthful inexperience. In 1994, Frederique Constant was a new and entirely independent family- owned company enjoying phenomenal growth. The collections were rich, the new models diverse. It was a time for expansion, every detail exhibiting originality. The Heart Beat was an expression of this… which Frederique Constant neglected to protect! The design was never patented. Due to its success and the legal loophole that allowed for royalty-free use, countless brands have copied the Heart Beat aperture, with no benefit to Frederique Constant. The price of success!
The new Highlife Heart Beat collection revisits this iconic design and brings it into the 21st century. Located at the pole of the globe decoration on the dial, the famous aperture is finished with three luminescent hands. The design is understated, minimalist and as modern and unique as ever. You can look straight into the inner workings of the automatic FC-310 caliber with power reserve of 38 hours and admire it from both front and back through the sapphire crystal.
There are now three different versions of the Highlife Heart Beat to choose from. The first features a white dial and rose gold-plated case with a brown leather strap (complemented by a brown rubber strap), the second features a blue dial with a steel bracelet (complemented by a blue rubber strap) and the last features a black dial with a steel case and bracelet (complemented by a black rubber strap). Elegant and refined, sporty chic or modern and bold, each variation offers up an interpretation of the Heart Beat design, which more than a quarter of a century since it was created, has proven to transcend fashions and trends.
Frederique Constant is a Swiss watchmaking manufacture located in Geneva, Switzerland. The Maison was founded in 1988 by a couple of independent entrepreneurs, Aletta and Peter Stas, to offer quality Swiss watches at competitive prices, with the aim of democratising luxury Swiss Made watches.
Frederique Constant creates, develops, assembles and controls a wide variety of mechanical, quartz and connected timepieces at the same time within its 6,200 m2 Manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates (GE). To this day, Frederique Constant has designed 29 Manufacture calibres, including high complications, such as the Tourbillon, Perpetual Calendar and Flyback Chronograph.
In 2015, Frederique Constant launched the Horological Smartwatch, the first Swiss Made connected timepiece featuring a traditional appearance. Powered by a connected module, the Horological Smartwatch represents a new segment in Swiss watchmaking. In 2018, the Classic Hybrid Manufacture succeeded it, combining a mechanical movement with intelligent features and an integrated calibre analysis system. It was followed by the Smartwatch Vitality line in 2020. Equipped with a new generation built-in heart rate sensor, it features a classic dial, combined with a digital display that is revealed on demand.
Frederique Constant is currently present in nearly 3’000 points of sale in 120 countries across the world. In 2016, the Frederique Constant group (Frederique Constant, Alpina Watches, Ateliers deMonaco) joined the Japanese group Citizen, so as to pursue its international development and nurture new synergies.
© Frederique Constant
