Frederique Constant Highlife Chronograph, the review Replica Watches

If you are looking for a watch brand that has revolutionized its offering in the last ten years, you will find the answer at Frederique Constant. Since the year it entered the orbit of the Citizen Group, then, the Swiss brand that created the affordable Swiss luxury watch has experienced seasons in constant growth, increasing its authority even among the hardest to convince enthusiasts and the latest collaboration with “The Naked Watchmaker” is proof of this. replica watches

The Highlife collection has made a decisive contribution, arousing interest and guiding the brand into the rich segment of luxury sportsmen, which must be absolutely guarded; successful design, good build quality and a wide offer have gradually consolidated the initial offer. The Frederique Constant Highlife Chronograph is the last chapter of this story and judging by the proposals at launch, the aesthetic result is convincing and on a par with Highlife Worldtimer for what concerns me.

Frederique Constant Highlife Chronograph debuts in three variants with which product marketing experts expect to satisfy a large part of the wishes of customers on a global scale: a sports limited edition with a panda dial and navy blue tones more suited to the European market, a more classic and neutral option with black dial; finally, the silver dial associated with a two-tone case and bracelet usually aimed at the North American market and the Asian area. In the latter case, the finish includes gold plating on the bezel, bracelet links, chrono pushers and crown; it is a solution evidently aimed at preserving the range positioning.

The limited edition version (1888 copies will be produced) is the hero of the collection and lends itself perfectly to embody the spirit of this chronograph. The “V” arrangement of the registers is geometrically exemplary and is enhanced by the contrasting two-tone architecture; the ability to transform the watch at will by quickly changing the bracelet with the leather or rubber strap enhances its versatility and maximizes the successful style, easily recognizable in the shapes.

The lugs are integrated and the largely brushed finish is associated with a few mirror-polished elements, such as the thin bezel, which amplifies the width of the dial, the base of the chrono pushers and the crown. The contrast between the matte blue finish of the counters and the globe lines motif on the silver dial makes the whole truly satisfying, even more so when compared to the sober, even too much, tone of the one-tone versions. The Highlife Chronograph variant with black dial is elegant but a little dull.

The water resistance of 100 meters, essential on a steel sports car, completes a proposal aimed at a wide range of potential buyers. The hottest chapter, on paper, is about size and how much size can affect the good work of designers. In fact, the case measures 41 mm in width and is 14.22 mm high, enough to potentially make many buyers escape after just reading the basic characteristics. The numbers don’t always tell the whole truth; if tried with one of the available straps, in particular, the watch has the right weight and the short and integrated loop favors its adhesion to the wrist.

Part of the credit goes to the variable-width strap with a small pin buckle that closes immediately (if it had mounted a deployant we would talk about something else); the truth is that part of that 14.22 mm is to be ascribed to the bezel and glass, because the middle case is of an acceptable size for a self-winding chronograph.

Curiously, Frederique Constant did not draw on its rich catalog of proprietary movements for the Highlife Chronograph, for example by mounting the in-house Flyback FC-760 caliber; preferred to draw on the group’s organ bank, turning to the La Joux-Perret manufacture for the supply of an automatic movement, internally coded as FC-391, made on a Valjoux 7750 base, to which the technicians added the column wheel and performed various technical interventions so as to raise its autonomy to 60 hours.

Unofficially, the solution aims to contain the list price of the watch; it must be said that the caliber adopted starts from a sturdy base, with low maintenance costs, and ensures a higher power reserve than the in-house caliber to the detriment of the family feeling with the rest of the brand’s offer. It performs its task very well but has little appeal to the eye and loses the internal comparison from this point of view.

Final remarks
The presentation of the Frederique Constant Highlife Chronograph closes the circle of the collection. The chronograph is an important complication, which is why I am surprised it has arrived so late as it almost always follows the launch of the time-only model; Highlife has followed a steep and counter-current road, which began with the greatest mechanical complications.

Among the three options, I suggest you bet immediately, after trying it, on a limited edition Frederique Constant Highlife Chronograph; at a list price of 3,295 euros it comes with a very complete package and a wide range of use. The speed with which it can adapt to different situations is impressive; if you like the watch you will not be disappointed. All the limited edition copies, in particular, have already been delivered globally to the sales network; in our case we photographed them together with the other two specimens at Grimoldi Milano, which we thank.

For those who want the classic solution, remaining below the threshold of three thousand euros, the model with a black dial is the best purchase ever at 2,995 euros. The price list of the two-tone model is substantially unchanged compared to the first, but I do not agree with the choice of plating, I would have risked the higher price but adopted gold. In general, among the pros I include the excellent build quality; Highlife case and bracelet are well made and finished, it is perceived, while the caliber is technically in line with the asking price. Among the “cons” include first of all the choice of having adopted a mechanical movement other than an “in-house” caliber, reducing the two-color options at launch. In fact, I believe that the “panda” type configuration is the most suitable for the Highlife Chronograph and it is on this formula that the Swiss brand should insist in the future.