Art Deco was arguably the most iconic style and cultural movement of the past century. Starting in the 1920s from architecture to design, Art Deco was a period in time that defined many of the things we touch every day. Furniture, appliances, cars, and yes, watches were all inspired by the era.

Originally manufactured in square cases to match the shape of leather wrist straps and distinguish them from pocket watches, manufacturers of the 1920s took special notice of the design and it quickly became the must-have timepiece of the time. In our opinion, all brands should have a square or rectangular dress watch in their arsenal. Not all brands have the gravitas to embody the spirit of Art Deco, but Frederique Constant does it brilliantly with the NEW Classic Carrée Automatic.

Characterized by bold geometric forms and sharp details, the underlying theme of Art Deco was the desire to be modern above all else. In an era where most timepieces were large and circular, nothing was more age defining than a square or rectangular case.

The newest Frederique Constant watch is nearly 100 years in the making. Available in rose gold plated stainless steel or polished stainless-steel, the Classic Carrée Automatic measures 30.4mm by 33.3mm and features a dark brown or black leather strap. The case is slightly arched to provide a more comfortable resting position on the wrist. Paired with the smaller case dimensions, the Carrée Automatic embodies classic Art Deco design and modern watchmaking technology.

Fueled by the FC-310 caliber self-winding movement which beats at 4Hz, this watch has a power reserve of 38 hours and is water resistant up to 30m. The movement is based on the ETA-2824 and wearers can get a sneak peek of the balance spring through an opening at twelve o’clock position on the dial. This “heartbeat opening” as Frederique Constant refers to is surrounded by a railroad-style minutes track.

The edges of the face are embossed with large hour markers in classic Roman Numerals. The dial on both versions of the Carrée Automatic are the same, silver faces with a guilloché detail in the center which clearly embodies the geometric proclivities of the Art Deco movement. The watch face is completed withva hand-polished black Breguet Style hands.

The Frederique Constant Classic Carrée Automatic has one more surprise for owners, a sapphire case back embellished with colimaçon decoration. Colimaçon is French for spiral, especially a snail-shell style spiral, and this unique design is the final Art Deco touch to this very modern watch.

Take a look at the entire Frederique Constant collection at our Cary Court and Charlottesville locations.