A Frederique Constant signature timepiece, the Yacht Timer Regatta Countdown made its return to the watchmaking scene in 2019. It joined the Maison’s collections as early as 1997 at the instigation of its co-founder Peter Stas, who is passionate about sailing and the open sea himself.
A fresh take on sailing in watchmaking
Frederique Constant’s Yacht Timer Regatta Countdown offers a technical complication popular with fans of yachting and regattas: the countdown to the start of the race. Its classically stylish new look is the epitome of luxury sports chic, designed for regattas and relaxed pontoon times alike.
Housed in an elegant 42 mm polished stainless-steel case, the new Yacht Timer Regatta Countdown presents an anthracite grey dial, playing on the colour harmony. Inspired by the most stunning examples of traditional luxury watchmaking, this new dial features a guilloché decoration.
This age-old finish affords the light a regular pattern, where it can dance, stretch out and be reflected, like waves and swells, presenting an ever-changing appearance depending on the viewing angle. To complement this elegant symphony of tones, this new version comes with a matching stainless-steel strap made up of alternating polished and satin finished links, fastened with a folding buckle.
Within the case is the automatic FC-380 calibre. Beating at a frequency of 28,800 vph, it has a power reserve of 48 hours and is guaranteed water-resistant to 10 ATM (100 metres).
Ingenuity and simplicity
The dial is embellished with broad hour and minute hands enhanced by a luminous treatment and complemented by an orange hand that accentuates the sporty look. At 12o’clock, it sits precisely in the centre of a luminescent double index hour marker. Under thelatter are the five openings that form the Yacht Timer Regatta Countdown’s centralcomplication: the countdown.
Located at the top of the dial, each dot represents 1 minute. Pressing the button at the top starts the first countdown, gradually turning all the dots from grey to white. When all 5 dots are white, 5 minutes have passed.
The second countdown, the final 5 minutes before the starting signal, then begins automatically. This time, the 5 dots gradually turn orange. When the 5th and final dot hasturned orange and the seconds hand is at 12 o’clock, the regatta is officially underway.
Consistent with its positioning, the new Frederique Constant Yacht Timer Regatta Countdown costs the same as the two-tone model already in the collection: €3,495 (recommended retail price). Available with a rubber strap at no extra charge for an even sportier look.
