Frederique Constant, in partnership with Revolution, has launched a limited edition of the Slimline Monolithic Manufacture. This revolutionary technical breakthrough has a rosé-inspired colour palette and oversized Breguet numerals. The limited edition Frederique Constant × Revolution Slimline Monolithic FP(S) or Future Past (Salmon) will be available for purchase from Revolution’s website only. This timepiece represents one of the most seminal achievements in modern watchmaking, as it houses a single-piece monolithic oscillator that vibrates at 40 hertz or 80 beats per second.
The idea was to create a watch that created the ultimate dynamic tension between modernity and classicism.
Wei Koh, Founder of Revolution, The Rake & Grail Watch
The modernity is represented by the revolutionary oscillator, while the dial is inspired by the classic gentleman’s chronometers of the 1940s. The inner dial and the outer minute/seconds track are aggressively frosted, and the raised area under the hour markers is circular brushed, causing this sector to appear lighter in colour. Oversized applied Breguet numerals were selected for markers, and Breguet style hands were used. The watch features a large visible center seconds hand, and a stunning shade of salmon was chosen. The full name of this Monolithic watch is the FP(S) or Future Past (Salmon).
The Slimline Monolithic FP(S) is a monocrystalline round silicon wafer complemented by two regulation weights. It replaces the 26 components of a standard assortment, including the lever, the balance wheel, and the balance spring. The oscillator is almost indestructible, and the lack of a mechanical coupling reduces friction and wear of the components. It is 100% anti-magnetic, less sensitive to gravity, and four times lighter than a traditional assortment. The angle of its amplitude, which is six degrees, consumes so little energy that even though it beats 10 times faster than a normal watch at 288,000 vibrations per hour or 80 beats per second, it consumes far less energy.
The Slimline Monolithic FP(S) vibrates at 40 hertz, ten times faster than a conventional mechanical movement. To regulate the oscillator, Frederique Constant’s watchmakers developed their own expertise at regulating the two small weights that are used to change the inertia of the balance. The Monolithic oscillator is held in place by the bridge that acts as a framework, preventing it from bending to the point of breakage. The small silicon escapement wheel is fixed on an axis. At 80 beats per second, the seconds hand appears to be floating around the circumference of the dial.
The limited edition of the Frederique Constant × Revolution Slimline Monolithic FP(S) is a stunning example of modern watchmaking that celebrates Frederique Constant’s groundbreaking technology.
