Paying homage to classic cars since 2004, Frederique Constant has produced a very limited edition in collaboration with the Austin Healey automobile brand.
 
Frederique Constant has a long-standing commitment in supporting vintage car rallies. Live your passion is the slogan of our Maison. And at Frederique Constant we do have a passion for vintage cars. Since 2007, the Maison has been closely associated, often as the Official Timekeeper, with international events such as the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, the Carrera Panamericana, Retromobile car shows or European Healey meetings.
 
This collection is based on a close collaboration with the Austin-Healey car brand, the two brands having joined forces back in 2007. Counting many years of fellowship geared around sport and watchmaking, theirs is one of the most enduring associations in the industry, reflective of the unbreakable bond the two maisons share in drawing on tradition to create thoroughly retro designs in a modern interpretation, especially for those who truly appreciate craftsmanship and elegance.
 
Rarely are watches certified by the COSC (Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute). This certificate is only issued to pieces that can guarantee perfect isochronism over a given time and at given positions – in effect, their ability to tell the time correctly, consistently and precisely, within the strict limits enforced by an ISO standard. The COSC is an independent Swiss organisation that only issues its chronometer certificates to these pieces after the watches have undergone numerous tests over several days. COSC certified pieces form an elite, a class of their own, intended for collectors for whom “Swiss precision” is an everyday necessity.
 
Equipped with the automatic FC-301 caliber, the Vintage Rally Automatic COSC displays hours, minutes and seconds. Providing a 38-hour power reserve, the watch is water resistant up to 5 ATM (50 meters) and beats at 4 Hz (28’800 alt/h). Running around the dial is the flange complete with 60-minute scale, all set within a 40 mm diameter case, a favorite with collectors on account of its timeless quality. The perforated leather strap recalls the upholstery of the beautiful cars from the 1940s to the 1970s, as well as the gloves worn by gentlemen drivers in their element. Most of the casebacks of the Vintage Rally models are engraved with a Healey being driven at full throttle; the famous Healey 100S NOJ393 was purchased by a collector for £155 in 1969 and sold for nearly €1 million in December 2011.
 
Authenticated by the original “Healey” logo marked on the dial, this Vintage Rally Healey Automatic COSC model is in fittingly short supply, with 1888 pieces available..