Frederique Constant asked French artist seconde/seconde/ to find a way to convey a message in his own distinctive, cheeky style.
For his first collaboration with Frederique Constant, seconde/seconde/ sought to shine a light on what he considers the brand’s greatest strength (and perhaps frustration): the hand-assembled aspect of its watches. The result is a quirky and slightly chaotic reimagining of one of Frederique Constant’s most emblematic references from its “Manufacture” collection, the Slimline Moonphase Date.
The result is two altered limited editions of the Slimline Moonphase Date Manufacture – one in steel that’s limited to 100 pieces, and the second in steel with a rose gold tone crown and dial elements limited to 10 pieces.
Upon a first glance from a distance, the Slimline Moonphase Date Manufacture appears totally normal. The finely polished three-part 42mm stainless steel case, the subtly sparkling matt silver dial and harmonious moonphase and date display are all there. Yet a closer look reveals that nothing is as it seems. On the online-exclusive edition, the crown, hands and applied hour markers reflect a rose gold hue, contrasting against the coolness of the steel and silver elements. But that’s just the beginning.
Something is clearly not right with the dial. The applied hour markers appear to be weirdly and unevenly dispatched. The script of the logo and the date indication look like they were hand-written. Even the moonphase disk’s moon and stars look uneven and drawn by hand.
“As watch lovers, we’re looking for perfection… but when it becomes too perfect, we start to regret the lack of soul, the lack of connection with the ‘artisanal roots’ of watchmaking. It’s the same in life where the quest for perfection sometimes is conflicting with our human nature and beauty. I love to talk about our contradictions as social bodies, and I think this watch embodies a bit of this sweet bipolarity we all have.”
Romaric André, AKA seconde/seconde
For seconde/seconde/ though, it makes perfect sense: to highlight the handcrafted aspect of Frederique Constant’s Slimline Moonphase Date Manufacture by incorporating a bit of human error and uneven typography that could only have been drawn by hand, while the elements themselves are perfectly executed and embellished by hand.
On the reverse side of the case, the open display case comes with something of a disclaimer that perfectly sums up this unexpected and unprecedented collaboration (below): “How do we tell the world that manual-assembly is at the core of our Manufacture? We asked artist seconde/seconde/. He took it too far”. Beneath this message, one can admire a view of the FC-705 in-house automatic calibre, complete with perlage graining on the base plate, côtes de Genève striping on the bridge and blued screws throughout. Its bi-directional oscillating rotor efficiently winds the mainspring barrel to deliver a power reserve of 38 hours.
“Romaric’s dynamic and innovative spirit serves as a true inspiration, injecting a fresh and disruptive energy into our collaboration. Renowned for steering powerful and creative initiatives within the industry, he has rightfully earned his reputation. We feel privileged to join forces with him on the creation of one of the most successful Manufacture calibres ever produced by our brand. Our shared commitment to disruption aligns seamlessly, and we appreciate the bold provocations that Romaric has infused into the distinctive design of the Slimline Moonphase Date Manufacture. Together, we embark on a journey that celebrates innovation, pushing boundaries, and setting new standards in craftsmanship.”
Niels Eggerding, CEO, Frederique Constant
Technical Specifications:
Slimline Moonphase Date Manufacture
seconde/seconde/ Limited Edition
RRP £2,995
Reference: FC-705SOC4S2
Functions: Hours, Minutes, Moonphase, Date
Movement: FC-705 in-house calibre, automatic. 38-hour power reserve, 28’800 alt/h, 26 jewels
Case: Polished stainless steel 3-part case. Diameter of 42 mm. Height of 11,30 mm. Anti-reflective convex sapphire crystal. Water-resistant up to 3 ATM/30m/100ft. See-through case back with seconde/seconde/ artist text printed on the glass: “How do we tell the world that manual-assembly is at the core of our Manufacture? We asked artist seconde/seconde/. He took it too far”.
Dial: Silver dial with matt finishing. Frederique Constant Geneve logo hand-written by seconde/seconde/. Hand-applied off-centred rose gold-plated indexes. Hand-polished rose gold-plated hour and minute hands. Moonphase at 6 o’clock: moonphase and stars drawn by seconde/seconde/. Date by hand at 6 o’clock: black oxide colour hand, dates hand-written by seconde/seconde/
Strap: Dark brown alligator leather strap with matt finishing. Tone-on-tone stitching, Stainless steel folding buckle
Limited edition Limited to 10 pieces
Slimline Moonphase Date Manufacture
seconde/seconde/ Limited Edition
RRP £2,995
Reference: FC-705SOC4S6
Functions: Hours, Minutes, Moonphase, Date
Movement: FC-705 in-house calibre, automatic. 38-hour power reserve, 28’800 alt/h, 26 jewels
Case: Polished stainless steel 3-part case. Diameter of 42 mm. Height of 11,30 mm. Anti-reflective convex sapphire crystal. Water-resistant up to 3 ATM/30m/100ft. See-through case back with seconde/seconde/ artist text printed on the glass: “How do we tell the world that manual-assembly is at the core of our Manufacture? We asked artist seconde/seconde/. He took it too far”.
Dial: Silver dial with matt finishing. Frederique Constant Geneve logo hand-written by seconde/seconde/. Hand-applied off-centred silver colour indexes. Hand-polished silver colour hour and minute hands. Moonphase at 6 o’clock: moonphase and stars drawn by seconde/seconde/. Date by hand at 6 o’clock: black oxide colour hand, dates hand-written by seconde/seconde/
Strap: Black alligator leather strap with matt finishing, Tone-on-tone stitching. Stainless steel folding buckle
Limited edition Limited to 100 pieces
For more information please visit Frederique Constant