Frederique Constant Gives the Highlife a Sharper Moonphase Date

Frederique Constant’s Highlife line has become one of the brand’s most adaptable modern platforms, and the latest Moonphase Date Manufacture makes a strong case for keeping things compact.

With a 39 mm steel case, two dial options and the new FC-716 automatic calibre, it mixes everyday integrated-bracelet practicality with a more classical calendar complication.

The result is a watch that sits between sport and dress without leaning too hard in either direction.

At a glance

A compact Highlife case with everyday intent

The Highlife case architecture remains the foundation here, with no traditional lugs and a bracelet or strap that flows directly from the steel case.

That hornless geometry is more than a styling cue, because it helps the 39 mm case wear evenly across the wrist.

At 12.82 mm thick, the watch has enough presence for the complication and sapphire case back, but it stays within comfortable daily-wear territory.

The three-part stainless steel case alternates polished and satin-brushed surfaces, giving the rounded case profile more definition than a fully polished treatment would allow.

A convex sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating sits over the dial, while the threaded display back gives a clear view of the movement.

Water resistance is rated to 10 ATM, or 100 metres, which suits the Highlife’s practical brief.

Frederique Constant also supplies each watch with both a five-link stainless steel bracelet and a deep blue Saffiano calf leather strap.

The bracelet brings out the integrated-sports character, while the textured leather strap softens the watch into something dressier.

A tool-free quick-change system uses push-pins beneath the end-links, so the switch can be made without spring-bar tools.

Two dials built around the moonphase

The dial layout is the most distinctive part of the watch, because the sunray brushing doesn’t radiate from the hand stack at the centre of the dial.

Instead, it begins from the centre of the 6 o’clock sub-dial, pulling the eye toward the moonphase and pointer date display.

That small shift gives the dial a more deliberate sense of depth and makes the lower register feel integrated rather than simply added.

The blue reference, FC-716BL3NH6, uses a deep midnight tone on the main dial with a darker moonphase zone for contrast.

White printing and luminescent markers keep the display legible, while the red “31” on the date ring adds a discreet visual accent at the end of the monthly scale.

The rosé champagne reference, FC-716RG3NH6, is warmer and more reflective, moving between gold and copper tones as the light changes.

Its black outer minute track gives the pale dial a firmer frame, while polished silver-coloured indexes filled with white Super-LumiNova keep the watch from becoming too formal.

At 6 o’clock, the moon is rendered with a photorealistic grey lunar surface set against a starry background.

A slim polished hand traces the date around the same sub-dial, creating a compact twin indication that avoids adding another aperture or pusher to the case flank.

Both the date and moonphase are adjusted through the crown, which keeps the case lines clean.

The FC-716 movement brings a longer weekend reserve

Inside is the new FC-716, an automatic manufacture calibre designed, produced and assembled by Frederique Constant in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva.

It runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour and uses 26 jewels, but the more meaningful update is its power delivery.

A redesigned mainspring barrel and a high-performance spring alloy extend the power reserve to 72 hours.

That three-day autonomy is useful in real life, especially for anyone who takes the watch off on Friday and wants it ready again on Monday.

Through the sapphire back, the calibre presents a blend of open construction and traditional finishing.

The mainplate carries perlage, the bridges are decorated with fan-shaped Côtes de Genève, and the openworked gold-plated rotor leaves more of the movement visible.

Blued screws and laser-engraved technical markings complete a movement view that feels consistent with the watch’s more classical complication.

Details & Specifications

The Highlife Moonphase Date Manufacture works because it doesn’t treat the moonphase as a nostalgic flourish alone.

It places the complication inside a genuinely wearable integrated case, adds a useful three-day movement, and keeps the overall package close to Frederique Constant’s long-running promise of accessible manufacture watchmaking.