Tap the image to enlarge
Frederique Constant Classics Index Automatic Mens Watch
Ref. FC-303MC5B6
See more premium optionsHide
Stepping up in the same dial colour
The Classics Index sits at the heart of what Frederique Constant does best: classical European dress-watch design built around a movement calibrated to Swiss manufacture standards. The FC-303 at its core shares its architecture with the Sellita SW200-1, running at 28,800 vibrations per hour with a 38-hour reserve — a dependable, well-understood engine that rewards ownership without demanding attention. At 40mm the case wears closer to 39mm in practice, the lugs tapering enough to pull the watch inward on the wrist. At 10.3mm thick it disappears under a shirt cuff without resistance, which is the whole point of pairing it with Breguet hands and Roman numerals on a guilloché centre dial. That hobnail pattern catches and scatters light differently as the wrist moves, giving a static silver surface some animation without straying from the formal register the dial is clearly after. The crocodile-embossed calf strap with its matching black stitching keeps the whole thing consistent in tone — a detail that reads as considered rather than incidental, and holds the watch's dressier intentions together down to the pin buckle.
- Reference
- FC-303MC5B6
- Brand
- Frederique Constant
- Collection
- Classics
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 10.3mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- FC-303
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 38 hours
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 6 collections
This watch appears in the Frederique Constant Classics range (19), Stainless Steel Watches (3,115), Automatic Watches (1,724), Leather Strap Watches (1,023), Silver Dial Watches (703) and Dress Watches (533).
Temporarily out of stock
Goldsmiths is not currently taking orders for this reference. Last listed as available on 26 August 2026. Stock is checked nightly and this page updates when it returns.
What the specifications mean
A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.
Strengths
- 40mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Frederique Constant's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
- 38-hour reserve means winding it after a day off
Frederique Constant Classics Index alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | FC-303MC5B6 | H32675560 | T1379079720100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £995 | £990 | £960 |
| Case size | 40mm | 40mm | 40mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Silicone strap |
| Power reserve | 38 hours | 80 hours | 80 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m 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 is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 38 hours fully wound — so it will usually stop if you leave it off overnight.
What size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 40mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
More Frederique Constant watches like the Classics Index
In stock, and close on style and price
