MECHANICAL BALLET

The craftsmanship of skeletonising represents both a technical and aesthetic challenge. Technically, because the calibre is finished using tiny openings that are as numerous as they are delicate, and entirely without sharp edges to preserve the round, harmonious shape of the earth.

Aesthetic, as skeletonising is a rare watchmaking technique that traditionally does not only apply to the dial, let alone its centre. A stylistic boldness that Frédérique Constant has mastered to perfection: more than 25 years ago, the Manufacture created the iconic Heart Beat collection based on the same principle of aesthetic ingenuity. Now Frédérique Constant is reinterpreting it in a bold, completely unprecedented new way. And in doing so, is securing a lead for the next quarter of a century.

The new Highlife Automatic Skeleton continues this tradition. The highly original cut-out of the earth in the centre of the watch reveals the beating heart of the movement: the balance wheel at 12 o’clock, the mainspring barrel between 5 and 6 o’clock, and the winding stem, which can be seen at 3 o’clock. The openworked base allows the essentials to be recognised without revealing the whole.

In a complex interplay of shadow and light, hidden and exposed sides, the Highlife Automatic Skeleton brings to life a modern vision of skeletonization and mechanical watchmaking. For those who are particularly interested in the inner workings of the watch, rest assured: its open case back allows the watch to fully display its mechanical intimacy and finishes, to which the Geneva-based Manufacture attaches particular importance.