Frederique Constant continues its 16-year partnership with Britain’s Austin-Healey automobile marque with the latest co-branded limited-edition timepiece for classic car enthusiasts, the Vintage Rally Healey Automatic, offered with a dial in either classic silver or British Racing Green.
With this latest addition to its Healey series, whose most recent predecessor was released in 2018, Frederique Constant eschews its usual chronograph design in favor of a cleaner, more casual-look three-hand-with-date model, aimed at, in the brand’s words, “gentlemen drivers.” Both watches are in 40-mm polished steel cases; the model with the silvered dial has a rose-gold plating, gold-toned hands and indices, and a chocolate-brown minute-track flange. The other has a dial in the deep, bold green historically associated with British motorsports and vintage Healey cars in particular. Its hands, indices and flange are silver-coated. The hands and hour markers of both models are luminous-treated.
The movement powering these limited editions (2,888 pieces of each version) is Frederique Constant’s automatic FC-303 caliber, with 26 jewels, a 28,800-vph frequency, and a 38-hour power reserve. This Sellita-based caliber beats behind a solid caseback engraved, as is traditional with the brand’s Healey editions, with the image of a classic Healey automobile (on this model, it’s the Healey 100S N0J393) and an individual serial number. The watches are mounted on brown calfskin leather straps with contrast stitching and perforations inspired by classic racing gloves.
Also in keeping with its predecessors in the vintage racing-inspired series, each watch is packaged in a special presentation box alongside a miniature replica of the N0J393 depicted on the caseback. Prices are 1,450 euros for the steel-cased, green-dialed model, and 1,750 for the rose-gold-plated, silver-dialed model.
Manufacturer: | Frederique Constant Genève |
Model: | Vintage Rally Healey Automatic |
Reference number: | FC-303HGRS5B6/FC-303HVBR5B4 |
Functions: | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
Movement: | FC-303, automatic, 26, jewels, 38-hour power reserve, 28,800 vph, based on Sellita SW300-1 |
Case: | Polished stainless steel or steel with rose gold plating, convex sapphire crystal, water-resistant to 50 meters |
Bracelet and clasp: | Dark brown or light brown perforated leather strap |
Dimensions: | Diameter = 40 mm |
Price: | 1,450 euros (steel); 1,750 euros (rose-gold plated steel) |
Where can you get the Frederique Constant vintage Rally Healey Automatic watch?
Hi— are these available for purchase yet? Didn’t see in the article.
Hi Ted, they’re not available yet. For more information, check out Frederique’s website: https://frederiqueconstant.com/watch-finder/vintage-rally/vintage-rally-healey-automatic-fc-303hgrs5b6/.
ok; thanks very much! looks like a very nice watch.