The 2011 Frederique Constant Junior Ladies (refs. FC-200M1ER6B, FC-200WA1ER6B, and FC-200WHD1ER6B) collection a “jump-start kit” for the parents that want to make a nice birthday gift or a back to school present for their teenage kid, but are not yet ready to buy her a really expensive Swiss Made timepiece powered by a fine mechanical movement.
I am still yet to write my best-selling book on parenting, but I was always certain that if you want to spoil a child, start buying him or her expensive toys.
Whether it is a gas-powered, $50,000 Ferrari Testarossa go-cart for the 12th birthday, or a $30,000 Rolex Submariner in yellow gold for the first year in college, the gift only makes your kid addicted to luxury stuff. It doesn’t make him or her any happier for any extended period of time.
However, there is still a way to show your kid your parental love with a nice, high-quality present without actually make her an addict to all things luxurious. It is the new Junior Ladies Collection.
The new family of timepieces offers you just about anything you might expect from an entry-luxury watch: a reliable Swiss-made movement; a well-balanced, classic design; and that famous “Swiss Made” inscription at the bottom of the dial that makes just about any artifact get a twofold bump in the sticker price.
The new family comprises three models that are presented in the same round case 26 millimeters in diameter and equipped with a comfortable-looking polished stainless steel bracelet.
The differences between the three are clearly seen when you take a look at their dials.
As you can see in the photos, the Junior collection features engraved white dials with chapter ring inserts made of natural mother of pearl with applied polished Arabic or Roman numerals.
The version with Roman numerals is, of course, the soberest. It features standard guilloche work on its dial and a pair of blued hour and minute hands.
The versions with Arabic numerals and polished stainless steel applied indexes sport a more playful, even flirty combination of Hearts guilloche and hands made of mirror-polished steel.
The whole layout is protected from dust and elements with convex sapphire crystals: a nice touch for a trinket, which is designed primarily for minors.
Since the timekeepers are powered by quartz movements and there is nothing to look at, they are equipped with solid back covers, no display backs here.
However, the choice of the cover makes it possible to order a watch with its case back engraved with a personal message, which will certainly make the gift even more valuable for a young lady.
See also: Rado True Thinline: Ceramic, Ultra-Thin, and Quartz
Photos: Frederique Constant
Frederique Constant Junior Quartz Ladies specification
Price: $1150 (MSRP)
Movement: Quartz, Caliber FC-200 (base Ronda 732), 13.50 mm x 9.00 mm x 1.95 mm, Swiss Made
Jewels: 7
Functions: Hours, minutes
Power reserve: 42 months
Case: Stainless steel
Shape: Round
Size: 26.00 mm
Dial: White dial and mother-of-pearl decoration of the outer ring; Guilloche decoration in the center (Ref. FC-200M1ER6B); “Hearts” guilloche decoration in the center (Refs. FC-200WA1ER6B and FC-200WHD1ER6B)
Numerals: Arabic or Roman
Hands: Stainless steel
Water resistance: 30 meters
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Crystal: Sapphire, convex
Back: Solid, can be engraved with a personal message