Frederique Constant Homage To Chopin Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed)
Apr 23rd 2010 at 12:03PM

When making a watch in honor of a popular person or figure, I always advise people to find someone that is a non threatening household name, and that no longer is alive and has no copyright issues attached with their name of work. For that reason, long dead classical music composers whose music is in the public domain work quite nicely. And here you though Frederique Constant was simply trying to make a watch you could get for your youngster after they successfully completed their first piano recital.

The watch is known as the Frederique Constant Limited Edition Chopin, and will be available in two limited edition versions of 1,810 pieces each. The difference between the two is that one has a 40mm wide steel case, while the other has a 40mm wide yellow gold plated steel case. The yellow gold plated version is matched to a brown crocodile textured leather strap, while the steel version has a black one. What is so Chopin about the watch? Well, Frederique Constant says that the inner marker scale is meant to look like piano keys. I guess they sort of do, but barely anyone would think that unless Frederique Constant had to point that out. While in a totally different price category, Audemars Piguet does piano key watches better with its special Millenary models. The Chopin watch does however arrive in a box that is a miniature piano - that has got to go for something. Would be cool if it was a functioning miniature piano.

Like all good classic looking watches the dial is silvered and have some nice guilloche machine engraving with Roman numeral hour markers. Inside the watch is a Frederique Constant FC-303 automatic movement (probably an ETA 2824 or similar). The watch has sapphire crystal front and back, and should be available soon. Price is likely to be in the $2,000 range.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com

Tags: chopin, frederique constant, limited edition, piano, watch