Frederique Constant Maxime Manufacture Automatic

Frederique Constant Maxime Manufacture Automatic is the second timepiece from the independent Swiss watch manufacture equipped with an in-house movement. Called FC-700, the caliber is built on 26 jewels and features a nicely decorated golden rotor visible through the watch’s transparent caseback.

Frederique Constant made its fortune selling watches that are both affordable and elegant. More than that, FC is the first company that, with its Heart Beat model with a skeletonized dial, started the “open heart” craze.

However, the Maxime Manufacture Automatic clearly lacks in terms of originality of exterior design. The watch features rather standard layout with central hour and minute hands and a date sub-dial located at 6 o’clock. Its combination of Sun Ray and Clous de Paris guilloche patterns is nothing new and quite often used by other brands -for example, the German Limes- striving in the same niche.

What really stands this watch out of the crowd, is its movement. You see, most brands in this price range (the watch will retail below €2000, by the way) are usually powered by standard ETA movements with standard complication modules supplied by third-party manufacturers like, say, Dubois-Depraz. The FC MMA is powered by the company’s own FC-700 in-house movement and, although its accuracy and reliability still have to pass the test of time, this makes it THE most exclusive affordable watch on the market.

Frederique Constant Maxime Manufacture Automatic watch’s specification :

Price range: €1950
Movement: Caliber FC-700, in-house
Complications: Date
Power reserve: 42 hours
Case material: Stainless steel with 18kt rose gold bezel, transparent caseback
Case dimensions: 42 mm
Case height: N/A
Dial: Silver with hand polished Roman numerals
Water resistance: 50 m
Strap: Dark-brown or black alligator strap with folding clasp
Crystal: Sapphire, convex