Highlife Automatic x Légion Etrangère

Frederique Constant X French Foreign Legion:

Two limited editions of 888 pieces celebrating time that matters.

Frederique Constant is proud to announce its first collaboration with the French Foreign Legion. Founded in 1831, this elite unit of the French Army has brought together men from around the world for almost two centuries, united by courage, commitment and the pursuit of excellence in service to France. However, this collaboration celebrates neither military operations nor feats of arms. It celebrates the time that follows combat – the return to being with comrades and loved ones. 

Because perhaps true luxury lies here: regaining control of one’s time. Personal and precious, time takes on a new value after acts of courage and dedication. Through this partnership, Frederique Constant and the French Foreign Legion pay tribute to a shared vision of time: a time of calm and peace, to be lived to the full.

Highlife Automatic x French Foreign Legion 

Since its foundation, Frederique Constant has built its identity around precision, discipline and the transmission of watchmaking expertise. For its part, the French Foreign Legion has embodied commitment, honour, loyalty and esprit de corps for almost two centuries. These shared values have given rise to two collections celebrating these commitments.

The first is the Highlife Automatic. The watch is understated, discreet and purposeful, reflecting the spirit of the French Foreign Legion. Its 39 mm case combines polished and brushed finishes. There is no room for superfluity – just three central hands and a date display. The dial’s golden sand hue draws inspiration from the colour palette of the French Foreign Legion and plays a central role in defining the identity of this timepiece. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the shade naturally echoes Frederique Constant’s commitment to Swiss Made watchmaking, the transmission of expertise and the pursuit of fine craftsmanship.

A black minute track runs around the dial, chosen by Frederique Constant to express its commitment to precision. The rigour of the legionnaire meets that of the watchmaker. Both pursue the same uncompromising standards of perfection through precise, controlled gestures, repeated time and again.

At 6 o’clock, the dial is framed by the emblem of the French Foreign Legion: the seven-flame grenade. Another defining symbol of the French Foreign Legion, alongside the Képi Blanc, the spherical grenade with its open centre and seven stylised flames traces its origins to the insignia of grenadiers in the 17th and 18th centuries, whose military heritage and traditions the Legion continues to uphold.

The Highlife Automatic is powered by the FC-303 calibre, sourced from La Joux-Perret, providing a 68-hour power reserve. Ready for every occasion, the watch is supplied with three tool-free interchangeable straps: golden sand leather, steel and black rubber.

ABOUT THE FRENCH FOREIGN LEGION

Founded in 1831, the Foreign Legion is one of the most prestigious military institutions in the world and an elite combat force of the French Army. With nearly 9,000 legionnaires from over 140 nationalities, it embodies a unique brotherhood where men from all corners of the globe choose to serve France with honour, loyalty and unwavering commitment. Its history is marked by the Battle of Camerone on 30 April 1863 in Mexico, which has become a defining battle in the Legion’s identity. More than a military victory, Camerone embodies the spirit of the Legion: completing the mission to the very end, whatever the circumstances, with a spirit of sacrifice, courage and loyalty to one’s word.

Forged through almost two centuries of commitments across theatres of operation, the French Foreign Legion maintains a permanent level of training that keeps its regiments constantly ready to intervene, both in France and abroad. The demand for preparation, daily discipline and experience gained in combat has forged a particularly seasoned force, recognised for its professionalism, admired for its cohesion and feared for its operational effectiveness. Every mission, every exercise and every generation of legionnaires perpetuates a military know-how forged in the heat of the most demanding conflicts.

Beyond its operational power, the French Foreign Legion is above all a human adventure founded on merit, discipline and solidarity. It offers everyone the opportunity to excel, to reinvent themselves and to find their place within an institution where effort shapes both individuals and character. Joining the Legion is to embrace a life of rigour and achievement, underpinned by a motto that encapsulates its spirit: “Legio Patria Nostra” – The Legion is our homeland. More than a military unit, it becomes a family, a shared destiny and a homeland by choice.

ABOUT FREDERIQUE CONSTANT

LIVE YOUR PASSION!

At Frederique Constant, time is an object of passion. It is not measured by the fleeting excitement of trends. Quite the opposite; it is a long-term vision, pursued through bold objectives, driven by the dynamism of contemporary watchmaking that dares to challenge established codes. From their very conception, Frederique Constant timepieces break with traditional watchmaking conventions. The Maison spares no effort in continually creating watchmaking that stands out for both its quality and its price. The Maison dares to invent a Swiss-made watchmaking with a high added value. It dares to imagine new watch mechanisms. It dares to offer High Complications. It dares to break down barriers to better play with the paradox of contemporary classicism.

Watchmaking at Frederique Constant follows in the footsteps of its founders’ entrepreneurial spirit. It stems from the appreciation for fine craftsmanship of the men and women who make up the Manufacture, since 1988. It is a human, vibrant and authentic company. It is bold, having already developed 35 Manufacture movements – almost one per year. Today, the Maison boasts a collection of refined Complications developed and assembled within its own Manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva. These include the Tourbillon, Perpetual Calendar, Flyback Chronograph, Worldtimer and Power Reserve Big Date. Frederique Constant is driven by an ongoing momentum of innovation and development.

The range also includes automatic and quartz collections distributed through approximately 3,000 points of sale in 120 countries. The Maison fosters a dynamic of ongoing collaborations—sources of inspiration and creative challenge—that continually push it to expand the boundaries of its creativity. In 2016, the Frederique Constant Group (Frederique Constant, Alpina Watches, Ateliers de Monaco) joined the Japanese Citizen Group to further its international development and foster new synergies.