FREDERIQUE CONSTANT

Frederique Constant focuses on heart related charities as it is in line with its signature, the Heart Beat. In 1994, Frederique Constant developed its first Heart Beat watch. The purpose of the Heart Beat development was to show the mechanical nature of these Frederique Constant watches.

Heart Beat watches have an aperture at the position of the balance wheel to show that the movement of the watch is mechanical. Early in the 1990′s, automatic mechanical watches were slowly making their return to the market after the quartz crisis of the 1970-1980′s. Typically, the exterior of such mechanical watches looks similar to quartz watches except that the second hand moves continuously. On quartz watches, the second hand makes 60 steps per minute.

At Frederique Constant, we considered it important to better show the difference between mechanical and quartz watches. In a mechanical watch, the balance wheel beats 28’800 times per hour. The balance wheel rotates clockwise and counter clockwise on its axes in a large ruby jewel. Its rotation is controlled by the hairspring, which constantly coils and uncoils, and can be seen through the open eye of the Heart Beat watches. The Heart Beat has become the signature of the Frederique Constant brand.