Review: Frederique Constant Horological Smartwatch

You’d have to say this was inevitable. At some point bespoke Swiss luxury had to meet wearable tech. The wearable segment has followed two distinct paths -- smartwatches and fitness trackers, no prizes for guessing who’s winning. Yes, you’re more likely to run into people with a fitness tracker on their right hand than folks who’ve forsaken their designer or heirloom watch for an Apple Watch or a Gear S2.

From Tag Heuer to Mont Blanc, a clutch of Swiss brands has unveiled their ‘smart’ plans in an attempt to take on the Apple Watches of the world. Their biggest selling point -- a watch that features the trademark handcrafted Swiss luxury (one that you can pass on to the next generation) with smart features that are almost invisible. Frederique Constant became one of the first of these watches to debut in India. It’s one of the key brands to drive the MMT (Manufacture Modules Technologies) platform -- a Swiss Joint Venture formed by Fullpower Technologies of Silicon Valley and Union Horlogere Holdings. It’s an exciting new start that combines a host of firmware, smartphone applications, and importantly cloud infrastructure. And yes, it’s where Switzerland’s Watch Valley shakes hands with Silicon Valley.

I gave up my entire collection of fashion watches (not my Swiss watch that I’ve kept aside for another day) almost the moment smartwatches went mainstream. There’s a big difference between a handcrafted Swiss watch and a smartwatch that is mass produced, chances are that you will feel that difference as soon as you strap on the Frederique Constant. I tried the version with a stainless steel bracelet (there’s a range of leather strap options too) and it didn’t take more than a few seconds to ‘feel’ that difference. But don’t let the appearance fool you; this is clearly not your everyday Swiss Watch. You’ll realise the moment you fiddle with the watch crown that essentially has just one function -- a single press and it syncs your watch with your iOS or Android device. You’ll have to install the Motion X App to kick-start your watch though.

The App is oddly not easy to find -- my first search for ‘Frederique Constant’ within the Apple Store didn’t throw up any results. It’s quite awesome to watch the hands automatically move when you set the watch up and each time you switch time zones - the watch syncs without a fuss and via Bluetooth with your smartphone. I experienced a time difference (on two occasions within a fortnight) between my smartphone and the watch which was a tad disappointing. There’s an easy workaround within the App for these rare deviations though. The App boasts of a gorgeous UI and keeps tabs of quite a few key stats -- calorie burns, steps and also your sleep numbers. In case you already didn’t guess, this watch doesn’t need to spend every night on the charging port -- the battery should last you a couple of years; a big edge over your regular smartwatch with a 1-2 day battery life. The Motion X App may not please the serious fitness fanatic who love digesting drill-down data. The device does not feature a heart rate sensor and unlike many fitness wearables, it can’t tell if you’re swimming or running on the treadmill. The watch’s leather and stainless steel straps might not make it workout friendly -- at least for those intense workouts but you can swim with it (water-resistant up to 5 ATM -- approximately 50 metres). The fledgling MMT platform needs to quickly get its act together to compete with more robust fitness Apps. The device’s smaller dial (located in the lower half) has dual functions. While the smaller red hand indicates the date, the silver hand maps your steps for the day. You don’t need to keep going back to the App to check on your steps progress each time. Clever.

With a price band of Rs 70,800 -- 79,900 the Frederique Constant range doesn’t come cheap and yet it’s not way more expensive than the Apple Watch that might be made redundant within a couple of years with newer versions. The MMT platform is still evolving and the watch doesn’t feature text or call alerts. If you’re considering a bespoke Swiss Watch that you’d like to keep for a while (and are willing to pay top dollar), the Frederique Constant horological smartwatch with its invisible smart elements merits serious consideration.  

What we liked: premium build, seamless smart integration

What we didn’t like: pricey, no ‘smart’ alerts (like texts, calls)

Price: Rs 70,800 to 79,900