Frederique Constant FC-941NS4H6 Heart Beat Open 42mm

Heartbeat History

The first Heartbeat timepiece was launched in 1994. The purpose of the Heart Beat development was to show that these models were mechanical. With this in mind, the company added an aperture at the position of the balance wheel to show the beauty of the mechanical movement, of its “heartbeat”. At the time, this very innovative creation allowed Frederique Constant to demonstrate its watchmaking skills with clever ingenuity.

 

However, a forgetful incident with the patent for this particular invention allowed other brands to find inspiration and duplicate what Frederique Constant tried so hard to present as its own. Following this unfortunate event, the brand found resourceful ways to claim its inventive spirit. In 2004, the brand launched its first ever in-house movement, which happened to be a Heart Beat Manufacture movement.

 

Major changes were applied to this new watch such as shifting the “heartbeat” to 6 o’clock which required massive watchmaking craftsmanship and propelled the collection to a higher degree of technique and elegance. In the following years, several modifications were made to the original design that awarded the brand with 9 new models.