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Frederique Constant Classics Heart Beat Automatic Mens Watch
Ref. FC-310MC5B6
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Stepping up in Frederique Constant's range
The Heart Beat line began in 1994 with a single idea: cut an aperture into the dial above the balance wheel so the movement's oscillation is visible as the watch runs. On this reference the opening sits at 12 o'clock, and what it reveals has been dressed deliberately — the SW200-based calibre beneath carries colimaçon and perlage finishing, blackened components, and a gold rotor. The mechanics are there to be looked at, not merely to run. The silver dial is busier than it first appears. Sunray finishing sits beneath a Clous de Paris guilloché field, Roman numerals ring the chapter, and the pomme-style hands are blacked out against it. In flat light the layers read as texture; at an angle they separate. At 40mm and 10.5mm thick, the case is unobtrusive on the wrist — the leather strap, cut in a crocodile pattern, keeps the whole thing dressy without weight.
- Reference
- FC-310MC5B6
- Brand
- Frederique Constant
- Collection
- Classics
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 10.5mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- SW200
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- 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 6 collections
This watch appears in the Frederique Constant Classics range (19), Stainless Steel Watches (2,833), Automatic Watches (1,417), Leather Strap Watches (904), Silver Dial Watches (630) and Dress Watches (456).
Temporarily out of stock
Goldsmiths is not currently taking orders for this reference. Last listed as available on 1 September 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
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
Frederique Constant Classics Heart Beat alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | FC-310MC5B6 | BMM0A10874 | H32675140 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,295 | £1,450 | £1,065 |
| Case size | 40mm | 40mm | 40mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | — | 38 hours | 50 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
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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 comparedWhat 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.
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