To add some additional value to the Frederique Constant Horological Smartwatch and bolster it’s fitness cred, there is another app that you can download (free account for owners of the watch), which will enable additional coaching and tracking for workouts. I explored this a little bit, but did not delve in too closely as I already have some other things set up for that purpose that work well enough for me, and it’s not like this watch was going to be around for the long haul, as it’s just a review loaner, after all.

If you are planning on wearing the Frederique Constant Horological Smartwatch to the gym (if you’re a completist on those step counts), then I would advise you look into getting the bracelet. While the leather strap is nice enough (padded, but quite stiff), it will soak up sweat like nobody’s business, and quickly take on an odor of its own. Which would not make it fun to wear the watch for the remainder of the day let alone have it tracking your sleep. Leather strap and 50m of water-resistance are also not ideal for swimming.

As a daily wearer, I did rather like the Frederique Constant Horological Smartwatch. I found this new version a good deal more readable due to the changed dial and handsome as compared to the original – though I do wish the indices had some lume, and that there was some way of displaying the day on the watch as well. Those quibbles aside, if a casual observer saw the watch on my wrist, they would not know that there were smarts packed in under that sapphire crystal.

Frankly, that’s really the proposition you have with the Frederique Constant Horological Smartwatch. It has silicon bits tucked away, but the watch is such that it is not readily apparent, or even at all, that you have a connected device on your wrist. No, this is the fitness watch for someone who puts more value on the watch design than gee-whiz gadgetry and capability. Compared with the original, I find that the new designs are a much better fit for being able to cross from casual to dress scenarios (and back), which is what you’d want on something you’re supposed to wear 24/7.

It’s that last bit that is the rub, I think, for many people considering a watch like the Frederique Constant Horological Smartwatch. The very fact that you need to wear it 24/7 to get the benefits it offers (particularly tracking) means that folks who are used to rotating through a variety of watches are going to be stymied – or be double-wristing things. This is how I’ve ended up with the Fitbit that clips into my pocket – it allows me to wear whatever watch I want, without looking like I’m some shady salesman down on Canal street (psst, hey pal, want to buy a watch?).

If you are not already attached to a particular fitness tracker, though, and you want to try it out, the Frederique Constant Horological Smartwatch is a well-sorted and versatile way to get into it. Just be ready to wear it all the time for it to really be worth it, but with a price of $795 you get a solid Swiss wristwatch with all the additional functionality of a connected device. And for those of you with the first gen model, you might wonder if it’s worth upgrading. While there are tech improvements, I’m going to chalk this up more to a change in aesthetics and design than anything else. In other words, that’s your call to make, man. frederiqueconstant.com

Necessary Data
>Brand: Frederique Constant
>Model: Horlogical Smartwatch (ref. FC-282AN5B6)
>Price: $795
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Yes.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: This is for the person who wants a fitness tracker – and some limited wrist notifications – without it looking like a gadget is banging around on their wrist.
>Worst characteristic of watch: Pairing issues and inability to get text message notifications – perhaps due to my particular phone.
>Best characteristic of watch: Does what it promises by not looking like a gadget, while giving you the benefits of a connected device.

Tech Specs from Frederique Constant

• Case
• • Polished stainless steel; 2-part
  • 42mm
  • Convex sapphire crystal
  • WR: 5 ATM
• Movement:
• • MMT-282 Quartz
  • 4+ year battery life
• Dial:
• • Silver-colored applied indexes
  • Hand-polished silver-colored hands with white luminous treatment
• Strap: leather with contrast stitching
• Functions
• • Always-on time
  • Activity tracking
  • Sleep monitoring
  • Sleep cycle alarms
  • Get-active alerts
  • Dynamic coaching
  • Cloud backup and restore
  • World time 24 time zones
  • Call and message notifications