In our review loaner, we had the dark grey version with white accents (there’s also a silver dial that keeps the main accents white, but swaps in a blue GMT hand for the white one that our loaner had). Tucked into that – and under the convex sapphire crystal – you’ve got a well laid-out dial. While I cannot say for sure if the case design is identical to others I have seen from the brand, there is definitely a shared DNA between them, lending a comfortable familiarity to the case itself. I mean, really, you’d have to be doing a LOT of sailing for a GMT complication to make sense, no? Given that, and the fact that I’m not really into boats, we’ll be evaluating the Frederique Constant Runabout GMT on its own.Īt 42mm, the Frederique Constant Runabout GMT is a nice balance between a reasonable size, and something that skews a little larger to draw attention (or just make it easier for eyes to read). Other than the nautical flag that appears on the exhibition caseback, I’m not picking up that theme. Now, ostensibly, the Frederique Constant Runabout GMT has some nautical ties (back to the Riva Runabout yachts of the 1920s). So, suffice to say – the opinions on the Frederique Constant Runabout GMT are solely mine, and your mileage may vary. This is because my friend and fellow editor, Victor Marks, has had a bit more of a mixed experience with the brand, which plays out in the reviews he’s written (and a recent podcast episode).
You’ll notice that in that opening paragraph, I specifically called out ‘my experience’. Today, we’re taking a look at the first GMT from the brand that I’ve had cross my desk, the Frederique Constant Runabout GMT. However, with Frederique Constant, my experience has been that the products usually match to the marketing hype. In fact, that’s what a lot of the crowd-funded watches try to position themselves as. The idea that you could get champagne-level watches at beer prices was simply entrancing. Its “croco-calf” strap is dark brown and also equipped with a folding buckle.īoth new Frédérique Constant Runabout Chronograph Automatic watch models come in specially designed gift boxes, alongside a bonus for classical boat lovers, a miniature replica of a wooden Runabout boat.Ah, I still fondly remember when I first learned about Frederique Constant. FC-393RM5B4 ($3,695), has a rose-gold plating, luminous white hour and minute hands, and hand-applied, rose-gold-finished Arabic hour numerals. It comes on a deep blue “croco-calf” leather strap with white contrast stitching and a folding buckle. FC-393RM5B6 ($3,395), has a hand-polished stainless steel case, with hand-applied pearl-black Arabic hour numerals. The date window is at 3 o’clock, and the chronograph subdial counters are at 12 and 6 o’clock. Both versions of the watch have silvered dials with a guilloché pattern in the center. The stainless steel case of the Frédérique Constant Runabout Chronograph Automatic is 42 mm in diameter and features a diamond-hard, convex sapphire crystal over the dial as well as a see-through sapphire caseback, etched with the flag of the Riva Historical Society. Both timepieces contain the automatic Caliber FC-393, which boasts 25 jewels, a frequency of 28,800 vph, and a power reserve of 46 hours, and powers the watch’s functions, which include hours, minutes, seconds, date and chronograph.
Frederique constant runabout automatic series#
This year, the Geneva-based watch company salutes the event with a new limited-edition watch in its sailing-inspired Runabout collection, the Frédérique Constant Runabout Chronograph Automatic, available in two distinct versions.Įach of the new Frédérique Constant Runabout watches - which also pay tribute to the Riva Historical Sociey, named for boat-building pioneer Carlo Riva and dedicated to conserving and restoring his antique Runabout boats - will be produced in limited series of only 2,888 pieces.
Frédérique Constant has sponsored the Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance, one of the world’s most prestigious showcase events for vintage wooden boats, since 2010.
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