Let’s face it: an activity tracker, or even your Apple Watch, looks ludicrous with some outfits. So what do you do when you want the elegance of a conventional luxury watch, but also want to stay updated with emails, without staring at your phone all night?
Swiss watchmaker Frederique Constant attempts to solve the problem with its latest launch, the Horological Smartwatch for Women. What sets it apart is that it combines the classic look of a quartz watch with the functionality of a smartwatch. Sebastien Cretegny, Managing Director of FC, says, “We launched this technology at Basel 2015, with a generation of men’s smartwatches. As the technology didn’t exist then, we worked with a company in California to develop the chip based on which this works. Last year, we started manufacturing them on our own, and have been able to concentrate on bringing out new lines.”
The new generation of ‘made in Switzerland’ watches include notifications — which was not in the first generation — for missed calls, messages, emails and more. As for bringing out a ladies’ watch, Arun Marc D’Silva, India Director, explains that the previous line was very popular among women. “They were even wearing 40mm dials because they liked the convenience of the watch, so we worked on making a more feminine piece,” he says.
The dial features a guilloché decoration, mother of pearl on the outer dial and applied Roman numerals. It comes in an all-steel version, and a steel with rose gold-plated bezel. For ease of use during exercise, the watch comes with interchangeable rubber straps in black and white. Four small icons on the watch face indicate messages, calls, steps and sleep tracking. It also vibrates to alert you if you’ve been idle for too long. Another interesting function: “ If you’re travelling, and your phone changes time zones, the hands will move automatically and change. Since it’s linked to your smartphone, it is always on time,” explains D’Silva. While the number of functions packed into the 34mm case are pretty basic as smartwatches go, the battery lasts over two years.
As for India, Cretegny agrees that it is a very interesting market for FC. “Indian consumers are somehow more inclined to new technologies than other markets, and our typical customers are young executives. They are the most inclined towards our products because they are fascinated by new technology, but in their workplace, it might not be ideal to wear the typical smartwatch.”
In the coming year, they plan to expand their presence in the country with current retailers Helios and Ethos. “The plan is to expand at the points-of-sale, rather than at brick-and-mortar stores. To do that, we have aggressive marketing plans like road shows, product engagements at malls and endorsements by our ambassadors,” concludes Cretegny.
The all-steel version retails at ₹52,900 and the rose gold at ₹90,900. Available at Helios and Ethos stores across the country.
