There’s something that’s quietly compelling about a worldtimer watch, with the whispered allure of a lifestyle in which knowing the time around the globe is a necessity, not a nice to have. It suggests boardrooms in the world’s financial centres and relaxing in sunbeds on private beaches, and this year Frederique Constant has released a fresh take on the worldtimer that isn’t simply a good-looking watch – it’s some of the best value you’ll find.
Frederique Constant has a solid reputation for creating worldtimer watches, with the Frederique Constant Classics Worldtimer Manufacture collection first released a decade ago as a well-proportioned and classically designed timepiece. The Plan-les-Ouates-based watchmaker has stayed true to this original vision with this latest release, which celebrates a decade in the making with a refined execution that gets the details right.
The 2022 Frederique Constant Worldtimer features a 42mm stainless steel case, which despite the level of complication within, stands a relatively slender 12.1mm thick. The only thing that interrupts the finely polished surface of the case is a single-step bezel, while the onion-style crown adds some heritage charm and, alongside the sapphire crystal caseback, guarantees the watch 50 metres of water resistance.
Arriving at the dial and we are immediately struck by the clean contrast between white and blue elements, which despite communicating a wealth of information, remains straightforward to read. Much of the dial is taken up by a map of the world, with a large blue subdial for the date that features classically-inspired engraving.
Framing these central discs is a pair of rings, one of which displays a 24-hour scale (with a day and night indicator) while the other features the names of 24 cities around the world that represent 24 respective timezones. It’s a mechanism that finds its roots in the early 1930s when the Genevan watchmaker Louis Cottier first created the design, which once set, accurately allows its wearer to read the time anywhere in the world at a glance.
You’re able to set the watch and its worldtimer function via the crown, which has two positions. Pull it out into the first position and you’re able to adjust the date by turning it one way, while turning the other way will move the outermost city ring. Simply turn it until your home city is at the 12 o’clock position and then pull the crown into the second position.
From here, you’re able to adjust the hands to set the watch to your home time, which is connected to the inner 24-hour scale ring. It’s important to set AM and PM correctly, which is indicated via the blue and white of the ring, and once you’ve finished correctly setting the time, you’ll be able to see what time it is anywhere in the world by assessing where the 24-hour scale ring is in relation to the city ring.
All of this is possible thanks to the automatic calibre FC-718 movement beneath the dial, which is an in-house movement created by Frederique Constant. Ticking away at 28,800vph, it delivers 42 hours of power reserve and is visible through the sapphire crystal caseback, where you’ll see the skeletonised gold-tone automatic rotor and the nicely finished bridges and blued screws of the movement.
The Frederique Constant Worldtimer arrives on an alligator leather strap, which is a matching shade of navy blue with the dial and completes the visual impression of the watch. Secured with a stainless steel pin buckle and with white contrast stitching along its length, it really doesn’t get much more classic.
So there you have it, the Frederique Constant Worldtimer in all of its glorious detail, here to celebrate ten years of this popular collection. It’s got a nicely proportioned and wearable case, an eye-catching dial that looks great with the blue/white contrast and a reliable in-house movement, all of which combine into a timepiece that could easily be worn every day.
Now, while the same worldtimer function from a high-end Swiss watchmaker such as Patek Philippe or Jaeger-LeCoultre would cost many tens of thousands of dollars, the Frederique Constant Worldtimer arrives with an RRP of just $6,600. There’s a lot of value to be enjoyed in this worldtimer from Frederique Constant, so if you’re looking for something a little more interesting as your next timepiece, this is definitely one to consider.
This article is sponsored by Frederique Constant. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Boss Hunting.
