Peter Stas, CEO, Frederique Constant

Luxury Craftmanship

Swiss watches are expressions of craftsmanship. Developers and fne watchmakers work passionately on their creations.

It is their selection of materials and their craftsmanship that determines the qualities of a beautiful Swiss watch. In addition to classic watch qualities, Swiss watches include vision and creativity.

There are three important elements that create a beautiful watch. It all starts with the movement, as it is the movement that determines what will be displayed on the dial. Secondly, the fnishing of the dial of a luxury watch is a form of art.

Look at details like the galvanized background, the applied indexes, and the fne printing. Finally, the overall design balance is essential to make a watch appealing to the eye.

By defnition accessible luxury refers to items of luxury, which are available at an accessible price, however to some the idea of accessibility seems alien when the subject of luxury is discussed. T ake for example the undiscerning buyer who might have the fnancial wherewithal to purchase an expensive product without understanding the fner details about its intrinsic qualities.

This sort of person merely understands luxury products as expensive items, which are largely unavailable to most.

With this in mind, why should anyone want a luxury item, which is available to a greater number of people at an accessible price?

The answer to this question lies with the discerning buyer of luxury purchases, who understands that luxury products are not just about their prices alone but mostly about the quality of the item being purchased.

Quality refers to the constituent materials used in making the product, the fnesse and extent of the craftsmanship involved and the reputation of the brand behind the product.

With items such as luxury watches, it is widely known that the best items in this niche are largely made in Geneva, Switzerland, an area renowned for its watchmaking practices and innovations, which have held the attention of those who understand the nature of timepieces for centuries.

However, some brands have taken advantage of this reputation to develop expensive products on a purely commercial basis which limits the purchase of such items to a very few, including buyers who view the cost factor as the sole criterion for identifying items of luxury.

These practices are usually justifed as being due to the rarity of the watches in question, the number of items made for a particular collection as well as cost of precious materials used in their manufacture.

Still a watch buyer should always be able to relate the cost of a product with the value of the item being purchased.

At Frederique Constant, our focus is creating luxury timepieces with an intrinsic value usually greater than the offer price of the products being sold.

Intrinsic value involves the quality of product both in terms of design, materials used in manufacture and adherence to Swiss watchmaking standards as well as traditions.

Frederique Constant timepieces are exclusively manufactured by hand while the processes involved are regulated with the latest precision equipment available in the industry backed by years of research & development.

We recruit passionate watchmakers from time-honored watch making schools whose reputations are an intricate part of Swiss watchmaking history.

Unlike a number of other brands worn for the name recognition and price tag alone, you will rarely fnd a Frederique Constant watch in the hands of an individual who is not a connoisseur of fner points of watches and life in general. Frederique Constant offers watches as an accessible luxury while maintaining a perfect and delicate balance in terms of pricing, quality and availability.

Making watches with a beautiful design and of quality is our passion. Lovers of the brand, and what it stands for, are partners in this shared passion for fne timepieces.

Frederique Constant’s continued growth can be attributed to its long term Accessible Luxury strategy.

Frederique Constant offers beautiful watches at an accessible luxury price for younger people and watch enthusiasts who don’t necessarily have thousands of dollars to spend, as well as the more value-conscious customer in all kinds of categories today.

The company held this positioning for 25 years and Frederique Constant watches have never deviated from it, so people know what the brand stands for.

Unlike some other brands that have changed their strategy or tactics over the years, becoming less credible.

Drs. Peter Stas CEO (born 1963) is a Dutch entrepreneur and author. He completed his studies in Business Economics at the Erasmus University and Harvard University.

Stas worked as Consultant in New York for Loyens & Volkmaars and Product-Marketing Manager for Royal Philips Electronics.

In 1988, he founded, with his wife Aletta Stas-Bax, the watch company Frédérique Constant.

The manufacture’s initial strategy was to focus its energy on classical luxury watches at an affordable price.

The Accessible Luxury positioning was the basis of strong growth during the fnancial crisis when consumers came back more to classical values and accessible prices.

In 2002, to diversify the Frédérique Constant group, Stas and his wife acquired Alpina Watches, a manufacturer of Swiss sports watches founded in 1883.