While the smartwatches of today may showcase the latest in mobile technology, they are rarely ever the most attractive accessories out there. They can be sleek enough, but it is often quite chunky to facilitate the systems inside them. Frederique Constant has developed a more sensible solution to the smartwatch, and it takes the form of their Horological Smartwatch Delight.
This watch is the perfect balance of sophisticated visuals with the same MotionX algorithms that can be found in various big-name technological watches. What’s more, the Delight smart watch has a battery life that’s rated for a full two years, which is far longer than most other smartwatches on the market – 729 more days to be exact.
The tradeoff is that the Horological Smartwatch Delight does not provide smartphone notifications like its counterparts from Google, Samsung, and Apple. Instead, Frederique Constant designed this watch to align with more sophisticated fashion senses, rather than look like a toy or a prop from a spy film.
Dial
The dial on the Horological Smartwatch Delight is coloured silver and features a guilloche decoration. It also boasts stunning mother of pearl applied, rose gold plated colour indexes. The 8 set diamonds that are embedded within the dial of this watch are sure to catch anyone’s eye, including your own from time to time. The hands are plated with rose gold that has been polished by hand, which adds to the overall splendour of the Delight.
Frederique Constant maintains an elegant design and appearance throughout all of their watch models, and the Horological Smartwatch Delight is no exception. The guilloche design is unique to the brand and gives this watch a flare that can’t be found on any other model. The dials are available in four variants: white with rose gold numerals, white with silver numerals, black with silver dots and numerals, and white with silver dots and numerals.
Upon first seeing the dial, you’ll notice that there are four symbols at the 2, 4, 8, and 10 o’clock stripes. Once the Delight has been paired with the MMT-365 app, the watch will be able to notify you when you receive a call or email. When receiving a call, the watch will vibrate briefly, and the hour and minute hands will join at 2 o’clock for 2 seconds, notifying you when a call is coming through. The same happens when receiving emails, except the hands will join at 10 o’clock.
Case
The case on each Horological Smartwatch Delight is made from polished stainless steel. It is made from two parts that are joined during manufacturing, and it measures 34mm in diameter. The casing is slightly thicker than the standard analog watch to facilitate the inner mechanisms and computer, but it’s hardly thick enough to make the watch feel clunky or uncomfortable.
Each case features a convex sapphire crystal and is water-resistant to 3 ATM. They are available with either the standard silver bevel or a bevel made from rose gold. While the prices of the Horological Smartwatch Delight models may seem extravagant, it’s important to keep in mind that the cases are imbued with two motors that move the hands on the clock face.
The back of the stainless-steel case features some signage, as does the crown button. These are the small, intricate details that create the luxury watch experience. A level of detail this great cannot be found on regular smartwatches, and it would certainly be hard to come by on other analog watches. This is part of what makes Frederique Constant such a well-known and loved brand.
Wearability
In terms of comfort, the Horological Smartwatch Delight series feels almost exactly the way you’d expect a stainless-steel watch to feel. The strap is made from stainless steel links and is sturdy without feeling rough on the skin. It doesn’t pinch, either, which is a common problem that people run into with stainless-steel watch straps.
If you want to stay away from stainless-steel straps entirely, Frederique Constant has also developed new, soft, comfort-centric straps. These straps offer a great classic look that can perfectly accompany the modern woman of today. They are made from rubber, which makes them extremely soft and delicate on the skin.
Rubber watch straps are not something that we often see from luxury watch brands, so Frederique Constant took a risk in developing these. However, from our testing, the rubber straps are as reliable as they are comfortable, and they deliver the same quality that Frederique Constant is known for producing.
Each Horological Smartwatch Delight has an MMT-281 quartz caliber. Watch functions are adjustable via the crown, and each watch has a lifespan of over two years. This is far longer than the popular touchscreen smartwatches of today, which tend to last only around 1-2 days before they need to be recharged.
As we mentioned earlier, the Horological Smartwatch Delights are slightly thicker than the average analog watch, since they need to fit the mechanisms within. However, they are still thin enough to feel weightless and comfortable on the wrist. Since there are no protrusions on the back, the case does not irritate the skin at all. This allows it to be worn all day long, every day without a worry.
Price
Of course, with a luxury brand comes a luxury price tag, but Frederique Constant has maintained fair and reasonable pricing for their Horological Smartwatches. Their most expensive model costs around £1,200 (or $1,500), depending on where you purchase it from. This model features the rose gold details and has a diamond-embedded bezel.
The least expensive Horological Smartwatch will set you back about £600 (or $750). These prices are quite low in comparison to other luxury watch brands and for the look and functionality they provide, they’re quite honestly a steal. You will be hard-pressed to find another watch with this style and luxury at a price this low.
