As we’ve written on these pages before, the Venn diagram overlap between watch enthusiasts and car enthusiasts is not small, by any means. Mix in a specific brand, and it might limit things some, but for those the brand meshes with, it’ll be right up their alley. So, is the Frederique Constant Healey GMT 24H for you?
The Healey, of course, refers to the storied brand Austin Healey; this new watch lineup has a specific reference to the NOJ393 Healey, which just saw one of the few remaining copies restored back to life recently. The NOJ393 shows up as an engraving on the caseback; the other Healey reference shows up with the logo appearing at the 6 o’clock mark.
After those two nods, it’s a watch like many others in the Frederique Constant lineup. For starters, the lineup is powered by the in-house FC-350 Automatic GMT movement, with all functions set via the single crown. Styling-wise, you’ve got a crisp silver dial (for the stainless steel model) with a thin black border; next to that on the chapter ring is where you’ll find the 24-hour scale, of course.
Spinning away on top of the dial you’ve sword-style hands (which look to be lume-filled), with everything tucked into a 42mm case. In terms of finishing, you’ve got the polished stainless steel – my favorite of the collection – paired up to to a black leather “racing” strap. The other two models in the collection come in a rose gold plating (with matching hand-applied indices), paired to a brown strap.
While I wouldn’t put myself in the camp of being an Austin Healey fan, per se, I do rather like the looks of this watch – and, of course, the GMT complication. Paired as it is with the strap, it does pick up a sportier feel, though I think swapping that out would quickly slip it over to a dressier look. With starting prices coming in at $2,295, Frederique Constant is maintaining their surprisingly affordable mix of in-house movements and luxury watch elements. frederique-constant.com
Tech Specs from Frederique Constant
- Movement: FC-350 Automatic movement. 26 jewels, 28’800 alt/h and 38 power reserve, with Hours, Minutes, Seconds, GMT, Date.
- Case: Stainless steel case, diameter of 40mm with Convex sapphire and 2-O-Rings crown, height 12.5mm.
- Water-resistant to 5 ATM.
- Silver, guilloché, applied indexes
- Leather strap
