Presenting Frederique Constant x The Avener at Dubai Watch Week 2023

In June 2022, Frederique Constant and the French musician and producer, The Avener, announced their partnership. With over one million albums sold, Tristan Casara, also known as The Avener, is regarded as a phenomenon in the deep house and electro-music scene. The Avener has left his personal mark on the two Highlife Automatic models as an ambassador for the Highlife collection. Now, they have unveiled two new limited-edition pieces, each housed in a 39 mm steel case, designed by The Avener himself. Only 432 pieces of each are available. Both watches carry the inscription, “a tempo”, which, roughly translated, means “return to the original speed”, a sentiment close to the artiste's heart. 

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GMT India takes a closer look at the timepieces unveiled at Dubai Watch Week 2023. 

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Highlife Automatic The Avener Limited Edition Watches

The dials are adorned with motifs echoing the sound waves of hits, as depicted on studio monitors. The first piece showcases blue sound waves on a black background, a shade significant to The Avener as it is reminiscent of the cover of his first globally successful album. It's as if the timepiece has captured a fragment of his music, depicting a few bars of the score. The dial embodies the rhythm of the producer/musician and the precision of Swiss engineering. 

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With a black strap, a black DLC case (DLC stands for Diamond-like Carbon, a chemical process that deposits a carbon composite similar to diamond on a watch's surface), a luminous black coating, and a date window featuring a black background, the second timepiece reflects The Avener's nighttime sets. Marking the time are the hands and hour markers, standing out against the dark backdrop. The concentric sound wave pattern, reminiscent of the sunburst finish favoured by the Geneva-based Manufacture, is symbolically repurposed by The Avener through an electro finish. This finish allows only the frequency display to emerge in glossy relief, creating a unique and stylish aesthetic.

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The beating heart of these watches is the automatic FC-303 calibre, visible through the caseback with a glare-proof sapphire crystal, delivering a 38-hour power reserve. On the dial side, three hands and a date window mark the rhythm of passing time, accompanied by “a tempo” inscription above the date window, referencing a return to the normal tempo in musical notation.

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To celebrate the friendship between watchmaking and music, 432 watches of each model have been released. The number 432 is intentional, representing the widely acclaimed perfect frequency, 432Hz, known for delivering absolute harmony and calm. 

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Enclosed in an original gift box, designed specifically for these limited editions, each timepiece includes two interchangeable straps. The first offers a choice between steel and black rubber, while the second provides options of rubber and nubuck, both in black. The gift box, resembling a musician's touring flight case, embodies the concert and backstage atmosphere with its reinforced structure. This setting is perfect for showcasing an artiste's Highlife, positioned at the centre of a black interior, alongside the additional strap and limited-edition plate, hinting at the valuable gear stored within.

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