News 
In 1895, Victor Hugo made the powerful statement: “There is nothing so powerful as an idea whose time has come”. A little over a century later, Peter C. Stas and Aletta Stas-Bax implemented theirs, in 1988.
During a skiing holiday in the Swiss Alps, the couple noticed a wristwatch in a boutique window that proved impossible to forget. Their discussions on this model soon turned into a full-fledged passion for watchmaking.
In the mid-1980s, they visited Hong Kong for their work. Peter Stas founded a small company there dedicated to selling high-end design software, alongside his regular job. The ambitious owner even used this firm to develop his first wristwatches. This led to a series of prototypes, made from various components on the kitchen table of the family home. Aletta Stas displayed some of them at the Hong Kong watch show. Success was slow in coming, but a Japanese wholesale company finally ordered 350 of them shortly before the trade fair closed. They sold at an impressive rate and the purchase of 1,100 additional watches provided the impetus required to create a small collection.
Frédérique Constant SA was founded in 1992 and the couple soon had the idea of revealing the regulating organ of the watch. The successful Heart Beat collection was launched in 1994. A first plan for Geneva headquarters was submitted in 1996, accompanied by a request for a Swiss work permit. The authorities granted it, providing they employed at least 12 people during the five following years.
A workshop was opened in Carouge, followed by the purchase of more spacious premises in 2000, in the Geneva municipality of Chêne-Bourg.
In 2001, a desire to give a personal touch to the sourced watch movements sparked the development of the first in-house calibre, and the family firm surprised the watch industry with its FC-910-1 unveiled in 2004. The dial topping this manual-winding movement featured a large aperture at 6 o’clock revealing a remarkably large balance wheel reminiscent of a tourbillon.
To mark the 25th anniversary of their company, Aletta and Peter Stas published a book titled Live Your Passion, providing a richly detailed account of the impressive success achieved by Frédérique Constant and its two subsidiaries, Alpina and Atelier de Monaco.
For its 30th anniversary, Frédérique Constantin has made a big move by presenting a perpetual calendar tourbillon model. These timepieces are available in an 88-piece limited edition comprising three different solid stainless steel or rose gold-plated versions. Adding to the surprise effect, Frédérique Cosntant also offers an exclusive edition of 30 watches equipped with a solid rose gold case. Each of its cases delivers a quality/price ratio that is extraordinary on every level.
For Aletta and Peter Stas, who – in the absence of a family successor – sold their company to the Japanese group Citizen in 2016, affordable luxury is not merely a slogan. This philosophy pervades the entire relatively brief yet extremely brief history of the company. By the end of this anniversary year, around 160,000 wristwatches will have been produced, equipped with a range of 27 calibres.
October 18, 2018