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Frederique Constant Classics 40mm Mens Watch
Ref. FC-292MC4P5
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Stepping up in Frederique Constant's range
Founded in Geneva by a husband-and-wife team in 1988, Frederique Constant set out to make properly finished Swiss watches available to a broader audience without stripping out the craft. The FC-292MC4P5 sits within that founding logic: a classically proportioned dress watch, hand-assembled and regulated to a standard the brand applies regardless of the movement inside. At 40mm the case is a comfortable fit for most wrists — large enough to read cleanly, not so wide that it crowds a shirt cuff. The silver dial against a brown leather strap is a combination that reads as understated business dress, and the buckle fastening keeps the whole thing uncomplicated.
- Reference
- FC-292MC4P5
- Brand
- Frederique Constant
- Collection
- Classics
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 10.19mm
- Case material
- Two-tone
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Unidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Solar
- Functions
- Chronograph, GMT, Day-date, Small seconds, Moonphase, Power reserve indicator, Tachymeter, Skeleton dial, Stopwatch, Countdown timer, Alarm, Backlight, World time, Perpetual calendar, Solar powered, Radio controlled, Bluetooth, Step counter, Heart rate, GPS, Compass, Thermometer, Altimeter, Tide graph, Dual display
- Water resistance
- 60m
- Bracelet / strap
- Mesh bracelet
- Strap colour
- Bronze
- Clasp
- Butterfly clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 45mm
- Origin
- Swiss made
Learn more about Frederique Constant
Peter Stas and Aletta Bax, a Dutch couple, founded Frederique Constant in 1988 with a straightforward objective: make Swiss watches with genuine watchmaking content at prices well below where that content normally starts. The name combines those of two ancestors, Frédérique Schreiner and Constant Stas, the latter a manufacturer of watch dials from the 1900s.
The company designed its own movement, the FC-910 Heart Beat, in 1994 — an aperture cut into the dial to expose the balance wheel, which became the brand's signature and is now widely copied. It began manufacturing calibres in-house in 2004, an unusual step at its price point, and has since produced over thirty in-house movements including perpetual calendars, tourbillons, and a monolithic silicon oscillator replacing the traditional escapement entirely.
That last development, the Slimline Monolithic of 2021, was a serious technical achievement: a single silicon component oscillating at 40 Hz, delivering high-frequency regulation without lubrication.
Frederique Constant also produced one of the first Swiss-made connected watches, the Horological Smartwatch, with analogue hands and hidden activity tracking.
The company built a manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates near Geneva, shares it with Alpina, and was acquired by Citizen in 2016. It also owns the vintage-focused Ateliers deMonaco.
- 1988
- Peter Stas and Aletta Bax found the company.
- 1994
- The Heart Beat dial aperture becomes the house signature.
- 2004
- In-house movement manufacturing begins.
- 2016
- Acquired by Citizen.
- 2021
- The Slimline Monolithic introduces a silicon oscillator.
Also in 7 collections
This watch appears in the Frederique Constant Classics range (19), Back in Stock (4,652), Chronograph Watches (1,219), Skeleton Watches (313), GMT Watches (247), Solar & Kinetic Watches (225) and Mesh Bracelet Watches (204).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
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What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 40mm suits most wrists
- 45mm lug-to-lug keeps the 40mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Second time zone for travelling
Worth knowing
- 60m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
Frederique Constant Classics alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | FC-292MC4P5 | T1534204705104 | SSC963P1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £995 | £1,010 | £670 |
| Case size | 40mm | 44mm | 39mm |
| Water resistance | 60m | 50m | 100m |
| Movement | Solar | Solar | Solar |
| Strap | Mesh bracelet | Silicone strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 60m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It charges from light, and the cell behind that is designed to last a decade or more.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedWill it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 45mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 40mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Goldsmiths and Mappin & Webb list it at £995, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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