Frederique Constant Slimline Perpetual Calendar Manufacture Designed by Peter Speake
Frederique Constant’s release of a new perpetual calendar watch at the beginning of this year could not have been better timed. The Slimline Perpetual Calendar Manufacture Designed by Peter Speake was created in cooperation with the independent British watchmaker Peter Speake, who conceived a minimalistic design with an open-worked dial and selected colour accents. The timepiece is a limited edition and part of the Manufacture collection.
Slimline Perpetual Calendar Manufacture Designed by Peter Speake: The case
Made of polished stainless steel, the three-part case offers an elegant frame for the movement with its prodigious complication. The diameter of the Slimline Perpetual Calendar Manufacture Designed by Peter Speake is 42 mm and the case measures 12.05 mm in height. Moreover, anti-reflective, convex sapphire crystal protects the sensitive movement on the front and open caseback, through which the wearer can admire the skeletonised rotor.
In addition to the engraving ‘3 ATM’, which refers to the water-resistance of up to 30 metres, the engraved cursive lettering ‘Frederique Constant Perpetual Manufacture’ adorns the frame of the open caseback.
Slimline Perpetual Calendar Manufacture Designed by Peter Speake: The dial
The open-worked dial echoes the shape of the case with its cloverleaf pattern. It made up of the four tangent, ring-shaped displays of the perpetual calendar. Convenient for everyday use, the rings displaying the day and date are placed next to each other. While the month is showcased at 12 o’clock, the date is located at 3 o’clock, the moonphase is at 6 o’clock, and the weekdays are featured at 9 o’clock. The printed white indices covered in luminous paint stand out against the matt anthracite-grey dial.
In keeping with the airy design, the dial’s five hands are skeletonised. The hour and minute hands as well as the three hands for month, day, and date have a luminescent coating. In addition, the latter bear red colour accents on their triangular tip. Last but not least, the moonphase also glows in the dark or in poor visibility conditions.
Slimline Perpetual Calendar Manufacture Designed by Peter Speake: The movement
At the heart of the Slimline Perpetual Calendar Manufacture Designed by Peter Speake is the in-house automatic calibre FC-775. Here, too, the functional components have been refined in an aesthetically pleasing way, including components with perlage decoration. The wheels of the perpetual calendar, on the other hand, have a circular, satin finish. Blued screws and a blue rotor provide additional pops of colour. To match the dial, the bridge is anthracite-coloured and features the engraving ‘Designed by Peter Speake Limited Edition 135 pieces.’
The movement oscillates at a frequency of 4 Hz and has a power reserve of 38 hours. There is no need to manually adjust the watch’s indications in the event of a leap year as the grand complication of the perpetual calendar has been set accordingly. Thus, a small window integrated into the month ring indicates a year with 366 days through a red dot. Otherwise, the dot in the window remains white.
Strap, price, and availability
A dark grey Nylon strap with white lining and a folding clasp rounds off the 135 pieces of this limited-edition watch. The timepiece is available for 11,995 euros.
The fifth LVMH Watch Week, which took place in Miami from January 28 to February 1, was proof of LVMH's ambition to become ever more influential in the watch sector, in which it is now the fourth largest power after Rolex, Richemont and the Swatch Group. To this end, the family-owned business is gearing up…
The Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacture Audemars Piguet is introducing two new versions of the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked and two new models of the Royal Oak Frosted Gold Automatic in 18-carat white or yellow gold. The new models with a diameter of 37 mm and 34 mm are designed for its followers with…
Jaeger-LeCoultre's 'Master Control' collection has been updated to include new 40 mm watches featuring open sapphire crystal casebacks and sunray brushed silver-white dials. The watches are now driven by updated calibres that integrate a new silicon escapement, a redesigned barrel, and various energy-saving enhancements. One of the new iterations is the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Date…
In 1950 the first Memovox model started Jaeger-LeCoultres history of mechanical watches equipped with an alarm. The Memovox Polaris model from 1968 has now inspired the Grande Maison for its Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris collection, which is derived from the looks of its predecessor in a variety of watches and functions. Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox watch from 1950 During the years of economic recovery…
At Watches & Wonders 2021, Rolex is presenting not only the new Explorer with a 36 mm case, but also an update for the Rolex Explorer II. This new model replaces the Explorer II reference 216570, but remains true to the familiar recipe. While Rolex makes only minimal changes to the case and dial, the…
TUDOR is introducing two brand new Black Bay Chrono models with either a black or opaline dial, plus contrasting subdials. The new fast-paced pieces are housed in a highly sporty stainless-steel case. Furthermore, they now come with a five-year guarantee, for which registration is not necessary. The Case The 41 mm case of the new…
In keeping with the season, OMEGA is presenting three new variants of the Globemaster Annual Calendar in subdued colours. The first watch has a trendy green dial. The second has a burgundy dial and a bezel in OMEGA's Sedna Gold. Lastly, the Manufacture presents a variant with a Sedna Gold case paired with a dial…
After having announced its comeback of official sponsor of Formula 1 recently, TAG Heuer is now expanding its Formula 1 collection with five new chronographs. These watches pay homage to the brand's motorsport heritage and feature design elements inspired by Formula 1. Among them is a special edition created in collaboration with Oracle Red Bull…
Hublot is presenting three very special timepieces at this year's LVMH Watch Week in Singapore, all of which break with old conventions. From a transparent neon-coloured case and a watch helping to protect the rhinoceros to a new edition of an all-time classic, Hublot is coming up with all the goods. Classic Fusion Original The…
Earlier in June, we saw the unmistakable return of one of Italy’s most famous automobile events: La Mille Miglia, otherwise known as 1000 Miglia, or 1000 miles. Once described by Enzo Ferrari as “the most beautiful race in the world”, it is a 1,000-mile open-road race through Italy’s finest towns and cities in period classic…
The year 2002 heralded the birth of the Royal Oak Concept, when Audemars Piguet launched a limited edition of 150 pieces to mark the 30th anniversary of its Royal Oak. It drew its inspiration from the concept cars in the automotive industry. Its aesthetic was disruptive and revolutionary; the Concept project provided Audemars Piguet with…
With the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra, the Roman brand breaks the world record for the thinnest mechanical watch. The piece measures only 1.80 mm in height and thus knocks the previous world champion, the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept, off its throne. To reduce the case height even further, Bulgari's watchmakers break with tradition and not…
Wempe and Norqain are introducing the Independence Wild One 42 Signature Collection, a limited-edition sports watch in vibrant turquoise. Created in collaboration with luxury watch and jewellery retailer as part of their Signature Collection series, this exclusive timepiece combines contemporary design with premium materials. With only 50 pieces available, it appeals equally to fans of…