Frederique Constant Strips the Carrée Down to Two Hands and a Denim Dial

Denim watches are often the result of a collaboration between a watch brand and a jeans brand. And often it's a bit of a gimmick that just uses denim for the strap. Well, Frederique Constant agrees that there should be more to it. So with the new Classics Carrée Denim, their small rectangular dress model, they bring the fabric onto the dial and stripped away nearly everything else. It's still a bit of a gimmick, but a well-executed one.

The steel case is polished and keeps the Carrée's stepped flanks and onion crown. It measures 25.2mm wide, 36mm long and 5.85mm thick. People have been complaining that there aren't enough small watches, so there you go. Sapphire crystal on top, a steel caseback out back, and water resistance of 30 meters. Wear it like the dress watch it is and keep it dry.

The dial is indigo, brushed diagonally in white to mimic twill, white weft crossing blue warp the way it does on a pair of jeans. There are no indices, no minute track and no seconds, so the dial has only the logo and two polished hands, a spade for the hours and a leaf for the minutes. Telling the exact time takes some estimation, but it's a good looking watch so just make some compromises.

Inside is Frederique Constant calibre FC-200, a quartz movement based on the Ronda 1062, with four jewels and a battery rated for six years. It's thin, which is all it needs to be. The strap is real denim, lined in leather, trimmed in blue leather with white stitching, and closed with a steel buckle. Denim tends to fade and soften with wear, so it will be interested to see how patina develops.

The Frederique Constant Classics Carrée Denim, reference FC-200LB2C6, is available now, priced at CHF 895. It is not a limited edition. See more on the Frederique Constant website.