Frederique Constant marks both its thirty-fifth anniversary as a watchmaker and the fifteen years since its debuted its first tourbillon with the release of the Classic Tourbillon Meteorite Manufacture, a stunning limited edition 39mm watch cased in platinum.

The Geneva-based watchmaker stresses the individualized nature of the thirty-five piece limited edition. As its name suggests, each hand-finished watch features a meteorite dial with a “Heart Beat” cut-out at the 6 o’clock location exposing the firm’s own tourbillon.

Frederique Constant explains that two of its watchmakers spent weeks finishing each of the commemorative watches, using traditional instruments and tools.

These included a buff file for beveling, a hammer and punch for hand-punching and nine-micron sandpaper for the fine charbonnage finishing of the bridge and the base of the tourbillon cage.

To finish each bridge requires two to three days of work.

The high-end finishing extends to the unique meteorite dial cut from a meteorite sourced from Gibeon, Namibia. Again, fine hand-finishing is required to cut out a flat, smooth disc without damaging it as well as to polish it.

Artisans then protect each dial with a coat of ruthenium, enhancing its natural color while also shielding the surface from oxidation.

The finished meteorite provides a spectacular frame for the tourbillon’s escapement wheel and anchor, both of which are linked to the anchor pallet. A hand atop the tourbillon cage indicates the seconds.

On the back of the watch Frederique Constant fits a brass and tungsten oscillating weight coated with ruthenium, which delivers power to the Manufacture FC-980 tourbillon movement.

You may recall the watchmaker first developed this movement in 2008, fitting it with a silicon escapement wheel and anchor, both of which are visible thanks to the clear sapphire back. 

Price: $44,994. 

Specifications: Frederique Constant Classic Tourbillon Meteorite Manufacture

(Ref. FC-980MT3HPT, a limited edition of 35) 

Movement: FC-980 in-house caliber, automatic, finished with chamfering (anglage),hammering, circular graining (perlage & cerclage), flanks drawing and mirror polishing. All decorations made in-house. Silicon escapement wheel and anchor, 38-hour power reserve, 28,800 vph.

Case: Polished platinum 39mm by 10.99mm three-part case, scratch-resistant and anti-reflective convex sapphire crystal, see-through case back, water-resistant to 30 meters.

Dial: Grey meteorite, hand finished.Applied diamond cut indexes, hand-polished silver color hour and minute hands, opening at 6 o’clock with 60 seconds tourbillon, silver color seconds hand.  

Strap: Black alligator leather with matte finishing.

Price: $44,994.