Hands-On With The Limited-Edition Time+Tide × Frederique Constant Highlife Moonphase Date Manufacture Onyx Moon
There’s more to the Time+Tide × Frederique Constant Highlife Moonphase Date Manufacture Onyx Moon than a stunningly powerful black dial. This is an evolved version of the Highlife luxury sports watch that debuted in 2020. The limited-edition model, available in a run of 100 pieces, features a smaller 39mm diameter compared to the usual 41mm case. Furthermore, inside beats an in-house movement typically reserved for the more traditional Manufacture models. Additionally, a Jubilee-style bracelet adds a touch of luxury pizzazz. However, the deep black dial will keep drawing you in, and there’s nothing you can anything about it. The good news is that this recently introduced enigmatic, hypnotic, and charismatic creation is still available.
There is something bold about a dial with no indexes. Dials like this not only look powerful but also have an attitude that oozes confidence with a twist of benevolent authority. Add a moonphase indicator, and the gravitas remains, but now a sense of tradition ensures you’re not dealing with a trendy one-day fly whose reign will be over soon. The Time+Tide × Frederique Constant Highlife Moonphase Date Manufacture Onyx Moon might be a limited edition, but it’s one for the history books. And you can own a piece of watch history.
Getting our hands on a Time+Tide × Frederique Constant Highlife Moonphase Date Manufacture Onyx Moon
The Highlife, with its integrated bracelet, has good looks and impresses with its robust build. The Time+Tide collaboration watch showcases a design born in the world of watch enthusiasts. These people deeply care about watches, know what’s hot and what’s not now, and also understand that certain features never go out of style — a black onyx dial, for instance, without indexes. The Highlife Moonphase Date Manufacture Onyx Moon is probably the most dramatic “FC” of all time. The dial is as enigmatic as it’s dramatic.
The mysterious Highlife Moonphase Date Manufacture Onyx Moon is Time+Tide’s 10th collaboration watch, and it shows. Practice makes perfect, you see, even when it comes to co-creating watches. The smaller size is en vogue, and the Moonphase Date Manufacture caliber FC-716, previously featured in the Classic collection, makes the watch interesting from a technical standpoint. It also sets it apart from other Highlife models, giving this limited edition a level of mechanical exclusivity.
The new and improved automatic in-house caliber FC-716 debuted last year and features a large barrel providing a power reserve of three days (72 hours). To put that into perspective, this new movement is almost 90% more potent than earlier FC movements. The use of a larger mainspring required the brand to redesign the bridges. You can see this new design and big balance wheel through the case back’s sapphire display. When you do, please notice the fan-shaped Côtes de Genève on the uppermost plate. Having a large open-worked rotor also allows you to properly observe the different movement parts and decorations.
Not your ordinary Highlife
This watch’s new dial no longer features the embossed globe motif. You could call the black, light-absorbing onyx dial “sober,” but it’s sober in a most lavish way. An onyx dial is precious and rich in its enigmatic simplicity. Also, the handset has undergone a sobering-up treatment. The central hands, with their faceted, brushed, and polished finishes, show no sign of any luminescent material anymore. Pure metal against a deep black background looks cleaner and provides more than enough contrast. Even in the dark? Perhaps not, but this creation straddles multiple watch categories. It’s a sports watch by nature, a dress watch by heart, and a classic complication by tradition.
The subtle touches of red don’t disturb me, although I would have expected them to do so. I see the red word “Genève” and the “31” of the date scale in the same way I look at today’s midnight sky, in which the blinking lights of overflying airplanes add a touch of color. In particular, the red “31” complements the moonphase aperture at 6 o’clock, which features a black star-studded sky. Another nice touch is the realistic depiction of the Moon, befitting a contemporary creation.
Wearing onyx
As you would expect, a watch with a 39mm diameter, 12.79mm thickness, and 45mm length wears effortlessly and comfortably. Pairing the Highlife with an integrated Jubilee-style five-row steel bracelet, featuring brushed and polished finishes, is a great idea that looks impressive. It also feels solid, but please don’t make the mistake of expecting the same feel as the original Jubilee bracelet; keep things realistic and maintain the proper perspective.
For those who have trouble doing so, the watch features the brand’s quick-release system and comes with an additional black nubuck-style leather strap, as well as a black textured rubber strap. These completely change the look of the watch. I happen to think the black dial looks best in a full-steel setting, but having options sure is always good. Plus, wearing a watch with an onyx dial is always an experience.
Limited to 100 pieces worldwide, 50 pieces of the Onyx Moon are retailed by Frederique Constant and 50 by Time+Tide. They’re available for €4,895, £4,350, or US$5,695.
