WatchTime New York 2022 is returning to Midtown Manhattan’s Gotham Hall for the seventh time on October 21-23. Swiss watchmaker Frederique Constant is one of more than 25 participating watch brands set to showcase its latest timepieces there, including with the new Highlife Chronograph Automatic which was first launched in June of this year.
There are three iterations of the watch, including two steel editions and one two-tone version, that are each part of a resurgence of the Highlife collection that began in 2020, with the collection itself based on the initial iteration of the design family that debuted in 1999. Today, we focus on one of the steel editions.
The Highlife Chronograph set to display at WatchTime New York 2022 features a 41mm stainless steel case design that is consistent with other models in the collection. The steel is both brushed and polished, demonstrating an elevated finishing throughout, while its scratch-resistant sapphire features a anti-reflective convex. On the reverse, a sapphire exhibition caseback is revealing of the meticulous mechanics of the watch. Powering the hands is the FC-391 automatic movement, which offers a chronograph module with a column wheel as one of its technical highlights.
On the globe-inspired and decorated dial, the Highlife Chronograph Automatic features a straightforward layout of small seconds at 9 o’clock, a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, and a 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock. Three central hand-polished hands complete the timepiece: two fluorescent hands for the hours and minutes and a central chronograph seconds hand. The dial also features a date window between 4 and 5 o’clock, further adding daily utility to the appealing timepiece.
Powering the model is the Frederique Constant FC-391. The automatic movement is capable of a 60-hour power reserve, with the gold tone and Côte de Genève finishing on its rotor visible along with the rest of the mechanism via a sapphire exhibition caseback.
Retailing for $3,795, the new Frederique Constant Highlife Chronograph Automatic comes with two interchangeable straps, a navy blue calf leather strap and a rubber strap in the same hue, each reflecting the colorway of the model’s registers on the dial.
To see the new watch in person, along with hundreds of other new, rare, and interesting timepieces, be sure to reserve your tickets now for WatchTime New York 2022!
