Some brands arrive at Watches and Wonders with a handful of new references and a well-rehearsed speech about heritage. Frederique Constant arrived with something far more interesting: intent. This was not simply a showcase of new watches, but a carefully constructed argument for why modern luxury should be measured by substance rather than spectacle. The redesigned Classic Worldtimer Manufacture brought one of the brand’s most beloved complications into a sharper, more contemporary form, while the return of the Classics Manchette proved that elegance and accessibility can coexist without compromise. Add the milestone of the 35th manufacture movement, and the message became impossible to ignore. Frederique Constant was not chasing attention, it was reinforcing identity, reminding the industry that true watchmaking credibility is not about shouting the loudest, but about consistently delivering watches people genuinely want to wear. Outlook Luxe had a one-on-one interaction with Williams Besse, Commercial Director, Frederique Constant on the redesigned Worldtimer, the rise of emotional collecting, the return of the Manchette, and how the brand is shaping its next chapter beyond Watches and Wonders 2026.
Watches and Wonders 2026 felt like a strong statement year for Frederique Constant, especially with the reimagined Classic Worldtimer Manufacture. What was the thinking behind revisiting one of the brand’s most iconic complications now, and was this redesign driven more by collector feedback or by your own long-term vision for the collection?
Williams Besse: Since 1924, we have redesigned and revamped our iconic movement manufacturer at Frederique Constant. So, we increased the power reserve of our entry-price manufacturer collection, the classic slimline moonphase. And this year, that was the World Timer. It was a three-year plan, programme, to really redesign and reinforce our iconic movement. So, actually, it’s both. Indeed, we had a lot of feedback from collectors, from followers, that it would be great to have, initially, it was much more to have one WorldTimer without the date, because the 42mm, you have the date at 6 o’clock. So, that was one of the comments, it will be possible to remove the date so we can see better the world map. We removed it, and at the same time, we decided to redesign the case, make it smaller, 40mm, because it also has been requested to be much more contemporary, and that was the main idea, to really have a World Timer much more according to the standard industry. But, I must say, we still keep the 42mm, because it’s very iconic and still the bestseller on the manufacturer collection.
Frederique Constant has always stood for accessible luxury, but with increasingly sophisticated in-house calibres like the new FC719. How do you keep the balance between serious watchmaking and real-world accessibility?
WB: So, this is more a philosophy, and that was the DNA of the brand, to let more people enjoy luxury. So, by doing this, you can let more people enjoy luxury with an entry-price automatic watch, or a premium, or a manufacturer, or even with our Perpetual Calendar, or a Tourbillon. So, yes, the price goes up, but if you compare to the industry, we’re still super fair, and this is where we want to go, to the fair luxury. And I think it’s quite, it’s working today.
The diamond-set Worldtimer limited edition adds a very different emotional dimension to what is usually seen as a technical watch. Was that created to make the complication feel more personal and expressive?
WB: That was one of the ideas. But it’s also a new category of men who enjoy to have diamond settings. There is some part of the world where men can wear diamonds. So, that was also the idea. Very busy, huh? Wow, you’re an important man. I can see that.
The return of the Classics Manchette was quite unexpected and refreshing. What made this the right moment to bring back a watch that feels so much like a meeting point between jewellery and horology?
WB: So, this is quite a nice story, because if you look at the Manchette, it was part of our collection in 2002. It was part of the High Life collection at that time, and during some internal meetings, someone from the team just took an old catalogue and just discovered that watch. And then we sat with all the, especially the ladies, and they just said that it would be great to have this product. And when we launched it, last year, right at Watches and Wonders, two other big brands were also launching kind of a Manchette. So, we were right on the trend, but our product is much more accessible compared to the other ones. And, sometimes it’s, you know, some feeling, some luck, and we have been just at the right moment at the right time. And it was just spot on. And today, this collection, as you just said, it’s really refreshing. It’s a bit of a, not fashion, but it’s a nice combination between a fashion product but also the Swiss-made classic. And this is exactly what especially the ladies are looking at today. So, we’re extremely happy to have finalised this.
The Manchette speaks to a very style-conscious audience. Do you feel today’s women collectors are looking less for “ladies’ watches” and more for pieces that reflect individuality and design confidence?
WB: Yes, in a way, sure, it is. But we also see that more and more ladies are into watches. Our ratio in the past was maybe 65-35%. But today, we have some key markets where our sales are 50-50. And in India, we’re almost close to that. So, we really see ladies’ collections as a strong potential. And among these ladies, some are much more still very classic, but much more into fashion. But I think you can mix fashion and the Swiss-made. And this new audience, I would say, is 20-35 years old. Especially for that Manchette, it talks to them because it’s a nice product. But at the same time, it could be a watch that a grandmother would have worn but with a two-day test. That’s the way we see it, at least.
As Commercial Director, how do you see the modern luxury buyer today—are people still buying complications for technical admiration, or has the emotional story behind the watch become more important?
WB: we just start to see a shift in the luxury. You will always have people just going into complications which they can find at Frederique Constant. But more than that, the emotional story is very important, more and more. This is what people are looking at. And we see also other big brands start to communicate in that way. They were not used to doing it in the past, but they feel like they have to do it. At Frederique Constant, the passion has always been in the centre of everything. Even our slogan, Live Your Passion, it’s in the DNA of the brand. So therefore, on our side, we always wanted to make a mix between the passion and watches.
This year also marked the introduction of Frederique Constant’s 35th manufacture movement. From a commercial standpoint, how important is that kind of watchmaking credibility in today’s market?
WB: We always saw this as a very unique point. And it was. Since 2004, when we launched our first Manufacture Movement, we were the only one in our premium segment. And we are still today the only one to have a proper collection with a clear direction and a will to do so. It’s an advantage because, again, it just creates credibility. Whatever complication we know how to do, therefore, to create a more medium or entry-price automatic, it’s not something complicated for us. So we know how to do it. And therefore, this watchmaking credibility, yes, it is very important today because people just want to know slightly more, just not buying a watch. I personally do the same. If I’m buying shoes, I don’t mind to spend a certain amount, but I just want to know where it has been done, which leather.
I mean, even though we all can buy a leather shoe, I might buy a specific brand, not only for the name, but because they are generally doing craftsmanship work. And to, not to say thank you, but to help them, to help this manufacturer, I will go for that brand. And I think that this is what is also happening at Frederique Constant because the brand is growing and I’m pretty sure people are just doing their homework before buying a brand. They like to see behind the brand and we are very open. If you go to our website, and we also share more and more information on this, communicating that yes, we are a manufacturer based in Geneva. When we do, we design our movements, we produce and we assemble ourselves.
The Worldtimer is one of those rare complications that is both romantic and practical. Why do you think it continues to resonate so strongly with collectors across generations?
WB: I think it must be on the design, and on the function that you can easily travel and project yourself in so many places in the world. I mean, trying to calculate the time. As you said, it resonates. Also, there are not many brands who have a world timer in their collection. And then to make a nice and beautiful world timer is not that simple because you have so many, so many elements in a simple watch.
You have to find the right balance. And I remember we had another world timer in the past with a different design. It was so-so, but this world map that we have been able to create also with the 3D relief, it just works. And now, yeah, we’re celebrating 15 years of world timers and it’s still, every year just growing and growing and we’ve done another new introduction. We had amazing demand and requests for the world timer so we’re really happy that we took the decision.
At Watches and Wonders, did you notice different reactions across markets—say Europe, the Middle East, and Asia—when it came to the new launches? Are tastes becoming more global, or still very regional?
WB: It’s a good point. I think it’s going very global because also the way to consume luxury starts to be global. In the past, even the brand communication, product, we always had to put something a bit more local taste. So today, yes, the global is still important but I see more and more an international way to consume luxury. Even when I travel different malls in the world, I see more and more the same brands. So that’s one. Also in India, our top sellers were always slightly different but also here, it tends to be our top 16 are a bit the same in the world.
So, to answer the question, yes, I think there is kind of a globalisation because also everyone is looking at the same social media at some point. So we’re all just targeted the same way. That’s one. And secondly, the way to consume luxury with not only a branding which was so strong in the past. I mean, it was a brand and then something else. Then a price or product, whatever. Now, no, it’s an experience and it’s much more about the product than a brand. That’s also why, we have been growing because we always put a lot of effort, attention more on the product and people just value it especially in India.
Looking beyond Watches and Wonders 2026, what excites you most about the next chapter for Frederique Constant—deeper technical innovation, bolder design language, or perhaps something completely unexpected?
WB: I’ve been working 15 years at Frederique Constant. We always thought that we had our moment. We added in 2020 when we launched in the same year the monolithic and the high-life collection. The first classic chic sports but then COVID arrived and so on and we were like, and now we really have our moment. So, for me it’s quite unexpected because everything is aligned and for the brand and yes, we are now talking to very strong partners. People are knocking on the door which was not necessarily the case in the past and we’re reinforcing our partnership with existing partners.
So, for me that’s what really the most unexpected thing that the brand is doing very well it’s highly demanded and most important that’s what works today it’s about the customers are buying and our sell-out is good so it’s like we have done something good. We have done some good collaboration in the past and the brand is much more visible and desired. So, that was my takeover of Watches and Wonders.
