This High-End Watch Feature Isn’t Supposed to Be This Affordable

A perpetual calendar with an in-house movement that’s this gorgeous and wearable for how much?

a salmon-colored perpetual calendar watch dial with a silver case

By Brad Lanphear

Published April 9, 2025

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Updated April 9, 2025

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Frederique Constant’s Perpetual Calendar Manufacture now comes in a 40mm case
The new in-house caliber FC-766 automatic movement has a moonphase and 72-hour power reserve
The watch comes in at just under $10,000

According to Niels Eggerding, Frederique Constant’s CEO, the Swiss watchmaker takes great pride in keeping prices relatively affordable.

When the updated Perpetual Calendar Manufacture was introduced at Watches and Wonders 2025, featuring a downsized 40mm stainless steel case and brand new automatic movement, the sub-$10,000 price tag was a key attribute.

Watches and Wonders Geneva: The watch world’s biggest release party may be over but the year in horology has just begun. Catch up on all the key novelties from Rolex, Panerai, Patek Philippe and more.

a steel perpetual calendar watch with a brown leather strap — Frederique Constant’s new Perpetual Calendar is held in a downsized 40mm case.

Less is more

Frederique Constant produced its first in-house automatic perpetual calendar with a moonphase in 2016. It was an elaboration on the 700 series module featuring a scant 197 components, which made it relatively easy to produce and kept the price at a virtually unheard-of $8,000.

a steel perpetual calendar watch with a gold dial and brown leather strap — The new Perpetual Calendar Manufacture has a salmon-colored brass dial.

Nine years later, the 700 series perpetual calendar has undergone a significant upgrade to accommodate the change from a 42mm case to a far more wearable 40mm one. The movement now includes 203 components and boasts a full 72-hour power reserve — an excellent feature for a watch with so many complications to set.

The smaller case eliminates some negative space from the dial, with each of the uniform-sized subdials almost touching. While the size and layout of each sub-dial remain the same, the day, month and date registers now place their tracks in sunken rings.

the back of a Frederique Constant automatic watch — An exhibition caseback displays the new caliber FC-776 automatic movement.

More detail has been added to the hour track, which now consists of pointed silver-tone applied hour markers placed along a railroad minute track. The new polished alpha hands are a subtle, elegant upgrade from the slender hands on previous references.

An entry point to luxury

The most visually striking upgrade is the salmon-colored brass dial, which creates a luxurious appearance worthy of the impressive complication. It has a radial brushed sunray texture that shimmers in the light and is a class above the muted dials of its predecessors.

the case, crown and dial of a perpetual calendar watch — The Perpetual Calendar Manufacture comes on a brown crocodile leather strap.

Nothing has changed about the appearance of the moonphase display from previous models, but the salmon color framing makes the blue of the subdial pop. It makes a relatively simple moonphase look gorgeous simply by providing an alluring combination of colors.

The new caliber FC-776 movement is visible through a sapphire glass exhibition caseback. Along with being smaller in diameter, the new movement is also thinner, allowing for a case that is only 12mm thick.

a frederique constant FC776 automatic perpetual calendar movement — Frederique Constant caliber FC-776 movement, viewed from both sides.

Frederique Constant offers some of the best value in Swiss luxury watchmaking, but the new Perpetual Calendar Manufacture is arguably the best watch $10,000 can buy. It has the look and performance of a watch that is several times the price.

Frederique Constant is owned by Japan’s Citizen Group, another company that emphasizes value. Operating under that umbrella allows the Swiss watchmaker to undercut the competition in an extremely competitive luxury watch market, to the buyer’s benefit.

the dial and case of a perpetual calendar watch — The Perpetual Calendar Manufacture is arguably the best watch $10,000 can buy.

Availability and pricing

The new Perpetual Calendar Manufacture cements Frederique Constant as the top entry point into luxury watch ownership. While it is not affordable in broader terms, it is one of the most affordable automatic perpetual calendars with a moonphase and genuine luxury vibes.

The Frederique Constant Perpetual Calendar Manufacture will be available from Frederique Constant and authorized dealers in late April for $9,995.

For now, only one dial color is available, and it comes in stainless steel on a brown crocodile leather pin-buckle strap.