In celebration of the 22nd anniversary of the original Highlife Heart Beat collection, Frederique constant has unveiled a new timepiece limited to 222 pieces.
Faithful to the original collection from 1999, the 2021 Highlife Heart Beat Heritage special edition is designed according to the same Frederique Constant objective as it was 22 years ago.
Housed in a 41mm case, the model features the Heart Beat opening at noon, enhanced by blue Arabic numerals inspired by the original oversized markers.
The oval juxtaposition of the brand’s engraved crests in the center of the dial have transformed into an engraved globe decoration while the blue hour and minute hands also aim to reflect the initial design.
Embodied in a unique design, the first Highlife collection featured the brand’s emblematic Heart Beat aperture, still associated today as one of the brand’s distinctive designs by many collectors.
At 12 o’clock, this aperture revealed the inner workings of the movement and the rotation of its balance wheel.
The story behind this discreet aperture at 12 o’clock has much to do with youthful inexperience.
In 1994, Frederique Constant was a new and entirely independent family-owned company enjoying phenomenal growth and the brand says the Heart Beat was an expression of this, though Frederique Constant neglected to protect it.
The design was never patented, and due to its success and the legal loophole that allowed for royalty-free use, countless brands have copied the Heart Beat aperture.
You can shop Frederique Constant with Dipples Jewellers:
