It may seem counterintuitive in this modern, more casual age, but we’re currently living through something of a dressy watch boom. Simpler, smaller, more elegant designs have been cropping up across the watchmaking landscape in recent years, and while many of these timepieces don’t fit the classical mold of “dress watches” there is certainly a trend in that direction. While many brands are searching for ways to bring classical elegance to their lineups, Frederique Constant has been filling this particular niche for years with offerings like the Classics collection. One of the latest additions to the Classics family doubles down on the traditional, dressy feel, blending classical design elements with solidly modern construction and an approachable price point. The new Frederique Constant Classics Premiere is a compelling mesh between old-school and modern dress watch design philosophy, with a refined, timeless look that fits into less formal surroundings impressively well.

At 38.5mm wide, the Frederique Constant Classics Premiere’s stainless steel case isn’t the smallest dressy design around but strikes a reasonable balance between wrist presence and small-wrist wearability. The design itself is simple and straightforward, with an old-school fully polished finish and a sloping, bowl-like case side profile that helps to reduce the watch’s contact patch and perceived dimensions during wear. Other elements like the narrow, sloping smooth bezel and the soft, rounded downturned lugs are clean and elemental enough to keep visual focus squarely on the classical, impressively finished dial. The one major design flourish for this case is the broad sapphire display caseback, offering an unimpeded view of the handsomely decorated movement within. While this is far from a watch with sporting pretensions, the underwhelming 50-meter water resistance rating should be kept in mind if one intends to use this for a general purpose daily wearer.

Although Frederique Constant offers the Classics Premiere in a variety of dial colorways, our review sample’s silver dial variant is arguably the most classically handsome of the group. There’s a pleasingly busy, ornate feel to the layout here, but the overall design is far from muddled or baroque when on the wrist. On the contrary, there’s a handsomely balanced, open, and airy feel here, with each element acting as a visual counterweight to the others. Standout elements like the dual chemin de fer minutes scales, blacked-out Breguet handset, and the mix of applied Roman numerals and baton indices keep the design language firmly traditional overall, but Frederique Constant adds its own personal spin to these familiar parts through judicious use of texture. The brand takes a multi-level approach to dial finishing here, with a soft, lightly grained sunburst for the upper layer surrounding the hours track and outer minutes scale, and a crisp transition downward into the recessed central dial surface. It’s this central surface that truly steals the show on close inspection, though, with a woven guilloche texture that adds a layer of visual depth to the dial while creating an array of shifting highlights at different viewing angles.

Inside the Frederique Constant Classics Premiere beats the FC-301 automatic movement. Based on Citizen Group sister brand La Joux-Perret’s G100 platform, the FC-301 is handsomely finished and solidly reliable. In terms of performance, the FC-301 offers an above-average 68-hour power reserve alongside a 28,800 bph beat rate. The finishing visible through the sapphire caseback is attractive and sharply executed, including Côtes de Genève for both the bridges and the engraved rotor, along with polished anglage, and a gleaming collection of blued screws as highlights. In keeping with the watch’s dressy, classical look, Frederique Constant fits the Classics Premiere with an alligator-pattern leather strap in glossy piano-black. Like many textured and padded straps, this one is uncomfortably stiff out of the box, with a tendency to squeeze the sides of the wrist. Given a longer break-in period, though, this strap might potentially settle into a comfortable softness.

While much of the watch industry is currently seeking new ways to insert dressy, understated refinement into product lineups, there’s still plenty of charm to be found in the traditional dress watch format. The Frederique Constant Classics Premiere is a handsome showcase of this principle at work, combining classically handsome styling, balanced proportions, and an excellent movement into an easy-to-wear, impressively versatile package. The Frederique Constant Classics Premiere is available now through authorized dealers. MSRP for this watch stands at $2,195 USD as of press time. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.