Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture: Maroon Dial, 100 Pieces
Berk OztoprakAuthor
Frederique Constant is presenting its own caliber perpetual calendar for the first time with a burgundy dial. The Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture FC-776BRG3H6 comes in a 40mm steel case, with a sunburst-brushed burgundy dial and the FC-776 caliber, boasting a 72-hour power reserve. The series is limited to 100 pieces, with each watch number engraved on the case.
What does the permanent calendar know?
A standard date display progresses as if each month had 31 days. It needs manual correction in months with 30 days, and in February. A perennial calendar, however, knows the length of the months and the leap year that occurs every four years. For this, a four-year, or 48-month, cycle is coded into the mechanism. As long as the clock is running, the date automatically changes from February 28th to March 1st, or to February 29th in a leap year.
Frederique Constant says the FC-776 handles all the variations of the Gregorian calendar. A caveat is necessary here. In the Gregorian calendar, years divisible by 100 but not by 400 are not leap years, so 2100 is not a leap year. Most mechanical perpetual calendars are unaware of this exception and require manual correction once in 2100. The manufacturer does not offer a separate explanation regarding this for the FC-776.
Seven indicators, one glance.
The dial displays seven pieces of information: hour, minute, day, date, month, leap year cycle, and moon phase. The day is shown at 9 o'clock, the date at 3 o'clock, and the month and leap year cycle in the sub-dial at 12 o'clock. At 6 o'clock, the moon phase rotates over a night-blue sky etched with laser-cut stars. A classic railroad minute scale and practical faceted indices complete the design.
The burgundy background is finished with a sunburst brush effect, while the sub-dials feature a different pattern. This causes the main dial and the counters to appear in different tones as the light changes. Frederique Constant notes that this is the first time she has used a burgundy dial in this model.
From FC-775 to FC-776: From 38 hours to 72 hours
Inside the watch is the FC-776 caliber, developed and manufactured entirely in-house by Frederique Constant. This is a significantly revamped version of the brand's previous perpetual calendar caliber, the FC-775. The mainspring case has been redesigned and a new alloy mainspring has been used. As a result, the power reserve has been increased from 38 hours in the FC-775 to 72 hours. The caliber operates at 4 Hz and has 26 jewels.
In a perpetual calendar, power reserve isn't just a matter of convenience. If the clock stops, the calendar stops too, and readjusting the day, date, month, and moon phase is a cumbersome task. 72 hours means that a clock taken out Friday evening is still working Monday morning. This significantly reduces the likelihood of having to reset the calendar.
The sapphire case reveals a gold-plated rotor with vertical satin brushes and a spiral pattern, an automatic bridge adorned with fan-shaped Geneva lines, and grained bridges. The watch is designed and assembled in Geneva.
Seven gauges at 40 mm
The case is polished stainless steel, measuring 40 mm in diameter and 12,25 mm in thickness. For a seven-digit automatic watch, this is quite a balanced size. The crown design is reminiscent of 1920s pocket watches. Water resistance is 5 ATM. The watch comes with a black alligator leather strap and folding buckle.
Technicial Specifications
| Door Design | Frederique Constant Classic Perpetual Calendar Manufacture |
| Reference | FC-776BRG3H6 |
| Kasa | Polished stainless steel, sapphire crystal, sapphire case back. |
| Dimensions | 40 mm diameter, 12,25 mm thickness, 20 mm belt gauge. |
| Waterproof | 5 ATM |
| Dial | Burgundy, sunburst brushed, patterned sub-dials, applied faceted indices. |
| Mechanism | FC-776, automatic manufacturer calibrator. |
| Number of stones | 26 |
| Frekans | 28.800 A/s (4 Hz) |
| Power reserve | 72 hours |
| Functions | Hour, minute, day, date, month, leap year, moon phase |
| Strap | Black alligator leather, tone-on-tone stitching, 18mm folding buckle. |
| Limited production | 100 units, numbered and engraved on the case. |
| Price and sales | It hasn't been announced, but it's listed as 'coming soon' on the official website. |
Bersenti comment
Perpetual calendars, one of the most prestigious complications in watchmaking, have long commanded very high price points. Frederique Constant's own caliber perpetual calendar is one of the watches that brings this complication to a much more accessible price range. The 72-hour power reserve that comes with the FC-776 is the real innovation that makes this watch more practical. The biggest enemy of a perpetual calendar is stopping, and the FC-776 reduces that risk.
The burgundy dial and the limited edition of 100 pieces give the watch another reason to consider it a collector's item. The price has not yet been announced. For comparison, steel models of the same caliber are reportedly priced at 9.995 euros in the press.
Keep reading
Related readings to this article
