Watch Angels is a unique platform that partners with designers and brands to create special timepieces funded by angel investors. Since the projects are financially backed by the Watch Angels community, independent creatives have the opportunity to bring their visions to life without the red tape that typically accompanies watch production. This also allows the resulting timepieces to be offered at realistic prices. For its latest project of 2025, Watch Angels has teamed up with Frederique Constant to create a new Worldtmer, and the Watch Angels x Frederique Constant Worldtimer Manufacture represents a significant departure from the brand’s existing models with an all-new case and a completely re-worked dial.
Unlike the standard Frederique Constant Worldtimer models that have 42mm cases, the Watch Angels x Frederique Constant Worldtimer Manufacture (ref. FCWA.718.SS.2.1.1) features a completely new case that is crafted from stainless steel case and measures 40.5mm in diameter by 13.4mm thick (although the brand refers to it as a 40mm watch). A domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment protects the dial, while a display-style caseback closes up the reverse side of the watch, and water resistance comes in at the same 50 meters offered by Frederique Constant’s larger Worldtimer watches. The reduced case size of the new model results in a more refined profile, and its contrasting brushed and polished surfaces create a more dynamic appearance compared to the completely high-polished finish that characterizes the brand’s standard-production Worldtimer models.
Although its new smaller case immediately sets it apart from its siblings, the Watch Angels x Frederique Constant Worldtimer Manufacture also features a completely reworked dial, which arguably represents the greatest departure from the standard-production Worldtimer models. Showcasing a dark blue sunburst-finished center surrounded by matte-finished discs for the city names and 24-hour scale, the dial eliminates the world map in the center, and it also foregoes the date-display register at 6 o’clock to create a more streamlined and elegant aesthetic. Sitting between the outer city ring and the central section of the dial is a rotating 24-hour disc with a two-tone matte blue finish, and applied to the 24-hour disc at noon is a small polished gold sun, while midnight is represented by a crescent moon that is rendered in a polished and sandblasted silver finish.
Unlike the standard Frederique Constant Worldtimer models that have luminous hands and matching circular hour markers filled with Super-LumiNova, the Watch Angels edition features entirely rhodium-plated hands with elongated applied indexes that also omit an application of luminous material to further add to the model’s more refined and elevated appearance. Despite its smaller size, the omission of the world map and date display creates a more open and legible appearance, and rather than having an applied badge at 12 o’clock, the Frederique Constant logo is simply printed on the dial, with a pair of lines running through the center in a crosshair formation to further help with orientation. While some collectors may be disappointed to see the omission of a date display on a worldtimer, the simplified format undeniably offers a cleaner and more legible overall aesthetic.
Although the case and dial are completely new designs, the Watch Angels x Frederique Constant Worldtimer Manufacture is powered by the same in-house Caliber FC-718 automatic movement that can be found inside the brand’s existing 42mm Worldtimer models. Running at a frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz) with a power reserve of approximately 38 hours, the 26-jewel manufacture Cal. FC-718 consists of 139 components, and it is decorated with perlage, blued screws, circular Geneva stripes, and a gold-plated skeletonized rotor. Additionally, unlike most worldtimer movements that require an additional crown or pusher to operate their signature complications, the Frederique Constant Cal. FC-718 allows users to make all adjustments to the watch directly via its signed winding crown at 3 o’clock.
Fitted to the lugs of the Watch Angels x Frederique Constant Worldtimer Manufacture is a handmade two-piece strap crafted from black calf leather, and it is completed by a signed stainless steel deployant clasp that operates with a double push-button release. Since the watch dial is dark blue, a matching blue strap would have been a natural choice. However, the black leather strap helps to accentuate the blue hues of the dial by complementing the darker shades that run through its sunburst-finished surface, and the net result of this pairing is a slightly more understated timepiece that still embraces a rich shade of blue. That said, for those who prefer a matching blue strap, the Watch Angels x Frederique Constant Worldtimer Manufacture features standard 20mm lugs, which means that a virtually endless list of third-party straps will be compatible with its case.
A core part of the Watch Angels platform is its “M2C” (manufacturer to consumer) approach that helps keep prices reasonable for buyers by handling the production, marketing, and distribution of its timepieces. Consequently, despite representing a significant departure from the standard-production models with an all-new case and dial, the Watch Angels x Frederique Constant Worldtimer Manufacture (ref. FCWA.718.SS.2.1.1) costs negligibly more than its siblings with an official retail price of 4,490 CHF (approximately $4,900 USD, at the time of writing). Similar to many of Watch Angel’s projects, the new Worldtimer Manufacture will be produced as a limited edition, with production set at 718 examples as a reference to Frederique Constant’s manufacture Cal. FC-718 movement that powers the watch. For more information on the Watch Angels x Frederique Constant Worldtimer Manufacture, please visit either the Watch Angeles website or the Frederique Constant website.
