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Frederique Constant Highlife 41mm Mens Watch Set
Ref. FC-303N4NH6B
Sits in Frederique Constant’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Frederique Constant watches we list, which start at £850.
Price range £850 to £3,995 across 22 Frederique Constant watches in stock.The Highlife collection was built around a single structural idea: fold the bracelet into the case so completely that there are no lugs at all. At 45mm lug-to-lug, this 41mm watch sits closer to the wrist than almost anything else at this diameter — a compact, curved fit that most integrated-bracelet designs from larger houses cannot match at twice the price. The blue dial rewards a second look. The embossed globe, with its latitude and longitude grid, gives it a depth that plain sunray dials do not have, shifting from graphic to almost cartographic depending on the angle of light. Through the sapphire caseback, the engraved rotor is visible — a detail that repays the 10.84mm profile being carried on the wrist rather than hidden under a closed case. The FC-303 is built on Sellita SW200-1 architecture, which is a sound enough base, but it has been adjusted here to COSC standards — a step that requires the movement to perform within -4/+6 seconds daily across multiple positions and temperatures. The quick-change system means the rubber strap that ships with this set can be fitted in seconds without tools, which is genuinely useful rather than decorative.
- Reference
- FC-303N4NH6B
- Brand
- Frederique Constant
- Collection
- Highlife
- Case size
- 41mm
- Case thickness
- 10.84mm
- Lug width
- 25.5mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- FC-303
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 45mm
- 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 5 collections
This watch appears in the Frederique Constant Highlife range (5), Back in Stock (3,734), Stainless Steel Watches (2,581), Automatic Watches (1,570) and Blue Dial Watches (714).
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 45mm lug-to-lug keeps the 41mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Frederique Constant's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
- 38-hour reserve means winding it after a day off
Frederique Constant Highlife alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | FC-303N4NH6B | BMM0A10854 | L38304926 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,895 | £1,850 | £1,900 |
| Case size | 41mm | 40mm | 41mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 38 hours | 38 hours | 72 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?
25.5mm. 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.
Will 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.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £1,895, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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