It might sound counterintuitive, but there is no more difficult timepiece to design than a simple two-hand dress watch. With so few elements at play, everything needs to be perfect. Anything out of proportion, any unsightly piece, will sink a dress watch even if it might go unnoticed on something more complex. When things go right, however, there’s no replacement for a dress watch’s level of refinement and classic beauty. For those looking to dip their toes in the dress watch pool without breaking the bank, there’s perhaps no better option than Frederique Constant.
Frederique Constant’s Slimline Automatic is a fine example of the breed. The calatrava-style case is, as the name suggests, impressively thin at 8.3 millimeters, keeping a svelte profile on the wrist. At 40 millimeters wide, it’s far from overpowering, but wide enough to offer some noticeable presence. The all-polished design tapers beautifully from the wide, flat bezel to the rounded caseback, producing an almost bowl-like effect, helping an already thin case to wear even thinner. Around back, the sapphire display window offers an attractive glimpse to the decorated movement within. The dial takes this elegant simplicity even further, with the only real concession to practicality being the date window at three o’clock. Other than that, it’s pared down design at its finest. There’s no minutes track here, just slim black printed lines for hours coupled with shimmering applied Arabic numerals at three, six, nine and twelve. Even the handset, a set of polished leaf hands, deletes the usual central seconds for added minimalism and to shave precious millimeters off the overall thickness. At the heart of this simple beauty is Frederique Constant’s own Caliber FC-306 automatic movement, an in-house modified version of the venerable Sellita SW300-1. The SW300-1 has found its way into scores of watches over the years with good reason. The specs are solid: 38 hours of power reserve, impressive accuracy and a 28,800 beats per hour beat rate for a buttery smooth sweep. The FC-306 adds a level of polish not normally seen at this price point to the mix, with a custom gold rotor and Côtes de Genève striping. Capping things off is a perfectly matched alligator textured leather strap with a signed deployant clasp for extra polish.
Finding the right dress watch for your collection is far from an easy task, but the Frederique Constant Slimline Automatic’s classical styling and pitch-perfect execution should ensure it a space in your lineup for years to come. At $499, it’s an incredible value as well.
Shop Now: $499
Other watches to consider:
