Frederique Constant Horological Smartwatch

Highlights

• Analog Swiss luxury watch with digital functions
• Connects to your iOS or Android phone via Bluetooth
• Cloud storage
• Two-year battery life

What is the Horological Smartwatch?

The Horological Smartwatch from Frédérique Constant is an electronic wristwatch with an analog display and numerous functions, including an activity tracker, sleep monitor, smart alarm, Dynamic Coach, and active alerts. Seeing as the smartwatch connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth, you never have to manually set the time. This is particularly useful when traveling because the smartwatch automatically displays the local time. The Horological Smartwatch is compatible with both Android and iOS and saves your activity data to the Cloud. The NOTIFY models inform you of new emails and missed calls with soft vibrations and pre-set hand positions. The battery powering the timepiece lasts at least two years. By mid-2017, Horological Smartwatch sales made up 10% of Frédérique Constant's annual sales.

Complications

• Activity tracker
• Smart alarm
• Sleep monitoring
• Dynamic Coach
• Active alerts
• Worldtimer
• Notifications (NOTIFY only)
• Cloud storage

How much does the Horological Smartwatch cost?

Though Frédérique Constant first introduced the Horological Smartwatch in 2015, the electronic timepiece is already available in countless versions. Each one has a classic design and goes very well with business attire. Thanks to the fitness functions, these watches are also perfect workout companions. Every model features a stainless steel case. If you prefer a gold watch, you can buy a rose gold-plated version.

Traditional Men's Timepieces

These traditional-looking watches feature Roman numerals and leaf-shaped feuille hands. They have a classic layout featuring a subdial at six o'clock with two hands and a scale. The smaller blue or red hand displays the current date. The other hand tells you how active you've been. You can define your daily activity goals, 10,000 steps per day, for example, via the smartphone app MMT-365. The activity tracker on the Horological Smartwatch tracks your steps and indicates your progress via a small hand. If the hand is at 50, then you've completed 50% of your daily goal, or 5,000 steps.

You can choose between a silver, black, or blue dial and a leather strap or stainless steel bracelet. Prices for new versions of this classic model start at 700 euros. You should be prepared to spend around 900 euros on a gold-plated model. The rose gold-plated version with reference number FC-285N5B4 is very popular and features a dark blue leather strap and dial, giving it an especially classic look. You can call it your own for only 1,100 euros.

Sporty Men's Watches

There are also more modern Horological Smartwatch models available that resemble sports watches with their perforated leather straps. The Vintage Rally collection features automatic watches with a retro rally look. The sportier versions of the Horological Smartwatch feature Arabic numerals hour markers at 3, 6, 9, and 12. Frédérique Constant uses indices at the remaining positions. The dial comes in silver, blue, or black. The black version has two contrasting silver rings surrounding the hour markers. The smartwatch's case is made of stainless steel, and rose gold-plated versions are also available. The manufacturer opted for luminous, lance-shaped lancette hands to display the time.

The NOTIFY function is a special feature on the sporty Horological Smartwatches. This function informs you when you have new emails or incoming calls by softly vibrating and moving the hour and minute hands to a certain position. If both are at 10 o'clock, you have a new message. If both are at two o'clock, you have a phone call. New NOTIFY models are available for 700 euros. A gold-plated version costs around 900 euros.

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Women's Models

The Horological Smartwatch for women offers the same range of functions as the men's models. The design, however, is noticeably more feminine with a 34-mm case (8 mm smaller than the men's version), heart pattern on the mother-of-pearl dial, and diamond indices. The design of the women's Horological Smartwatch resembles that of the Classics Delight.

With a rubber strap or stainless steel bracelet, you can also wear the Horological Smartwatch at the gym. The thin lugs emphasize the timepiece's feminine look. Every model has a stainless steel case, although the rose gold-plated version is best suited for wear with an evening gown. Even the crown, Roman numerals on the dial, hands, and middle links of the bracelet are rose gold-plated. Like the sporty men's smartwatches, the women's watches feature a NOTIFY function. You can purchase a women's smartwatch from this Genevan manufacturer for around 750 euros. The price for a bicolor model with diamond indices is around 1,100 euros.

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Which alternatives are there?

If you're looking for a smartwatch, you can choose between countless options from different brands, ranging from affordable digital watches like the Apple Watch or Samsung Gear S2 to luxury watches from Breitling or TAG Heuer which cost thousands of euros. The TAG Heuer Connected is the first smartwatch produced by a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer. The manufacturer from La Chaux-de-Fonds introduced the timepiece in 2015.

Unlike Frédérique Constant's Horological Smartwatch, most models from other brands don't have an analog time display using hands. The Connected allows you to choose from different watchfaces, including a classic analog display with hands, but it's a virtual display. Thus, if you want to buy a traditional wristwatch with smart functions, there are only a few alternatives to the Frédérique Constant smartwatch.

One such alternative is the Horological Smartwatch from Alpina, a brand owned by Frédérique Constant. In terms of technology and functionality, the Alpina watch is identical to the Horological Smartwatch from its parent brand. Visually, however, there are significant differences, as the Alpina watches are much sportier. The women's and men's watches have two distinct designs, either resembling a diving watch or a sports watch with a polished bezel. The versions with polished bezels go perfectly with a suit. Alpina's smartwatches are waterproof to 100 m and can be worn while swimming. You can purchase new versions for around 600 euros. Diamond-set women's models are priced around 1,100 euros.

The Swiss manufacturer Mondaine also offers a Horological Smartwatch comparable to those from Frédérique Constant and Alpina. The design of the Mondaine Helvetica 1 Smartwatch is very simple. The 44-mm brushed stainless steel case is available as a gold-plated or black-coated version. The dial on the black and gold-plated versions is black; all other versions feature a silver dial. You can purchase the Helvetica 1 Smartwatch for around 700 euros.

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