One of the poster watches of the vintage-style dress watch renaissance of the past 24 months is the Frederique Constant Classics Moneta. A slim, 37mm dress watch that puts elegance and refinement first with minimalist moonphases and practical time and date models. However, it has only ever been produced in quartz or solar quartz, until Geneva Watch Days where Frederique Constant has launched the first mechanical Moneta, the Classics Moneta Handwinding. At the same time, they have also launched a new duo of Highlife Moonphase Date models.
Frederique Constant Classics Moneta Handwinding
The big story here is that the Classics Moneta Handwinding is powered by a mechanical movement for the first time in the collection’s history. The movement in question is the FC-435, which is a custom variant of the La Joux-Perret G100 – La Joux-Perret and Frederique Constant are both members of the Citizen Group, so this is the equivalent of Tissot and Hamilton using the Swatch Group’s Powermatic 80 movement for example. The FC-435 features a 63-hour power reserve and 4 Hz frequency.
Given the different movement housed inside compared to the previous editions of the Moneta, the case dimensions have been updated too. It measures 38.5mm x 10.13mm. That puts it between the 37mm Moneta Moonphase and 39mm Moneta Solarmetre, so it’s the goldilocks zone sizing in the middle. That thickness does make it notably thicker than any previous Moneta to the tune of around 1.5mm-2.5mm. However, it’s by no means extravagant thanks to the decision to use a manual winding movement that prevents the need for a bulky automatic rotor that would increase the thickness further. The case is made from steel with 50m water resistance.
For the dial, it’s largely based on the Moneta Solarmetre with its facetted, wedge-shaped hour markers and dauphine hands. Although rather than having a date window at 3 o’clock it has a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. The timing scales are set against a backdrop of a salmon fumé gradient that fades to black around the peripheral edge near the inner coin-edge bezel. It’s the first gradient dial in the collection and it suits the model really well.
The Frederique Constant Classics Moneta Handwinding is presented on a black alligator leather strap to build on its classic dress watch appeal. It’s priced at £1,795, meaning you are paying £700 – £800 more compared to the quartz-powered Moonphase or Solarmetre references. That is an extremely reasonable price for a La Joux-Perret powered dress watch, especially as it’s a limited edition of 999 pieces. I also think that while collectors did like the design of the Moneta prior to this, upgrading it to a mechanical movement will open it to an even wider collector-base that prefers the romance of mechanical watchmaking.
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Frederique Constant Highlife Moonphase Date
In 2025 Frederique Constant launched a collaboration watch with Time + Tide, a 100-piece limited edition Highlife Moonphase Date. Now, for 2026, they are introducing a permanent version of that watch to the Highlife collection in two variants. They measure 39mm x 12.82mm with the Highlife’s signature integrated bracelet design and tonneau, barrel-shaped case.
The previous special edition featured a minimalist onyx dial with only the central hands and moonphase complication, but the new core collection models have a full complement of hour markers and a railway minute track. They’re set on a sunray brushed dial that’s available in either blue or rose champagne. At 6 o’clock is the titular Moonphase Date function, with a pointer hand for the date and rotating disk for the current moonphase.
Powering the watch is the in-house FC-716 automatic movement with 72-hour power reserve. It’s finished with a combination of perlage and Côtes de Genève in arabesque, visible through the exhibition window. It contributes to the £3,995 price tag, making it a mid-range luxury watch, although it is slightly more affordable than the onyx dialled special edition at £4,350.
Price and Specs:
More details at Frederique Constant.
