What is a holding pattern?

A holding pattern is a predefined flight path that allows an aircraft to remain in a specific area of the sky while awaiting further clearance.
It typically follows a racetrack-shaped loop, flown with precision and repeated as many times as necessary.

It is not improvisation, it is procedure.

Why do aircraft enter holding patterns?

In aviation, timing is everything — and sometimes, timing doesn’t work.

Aircraft are instructed to hold when:

• Air traffic is too dense for immediate landing
• Weather conditions deteriorate at the destination
• Runways are temporarily unavailable
• Sequencing is required for safe approach spacing

Instead of chaos, there is structure, instead of waiting, there is control.

Aircraft are stacked at different altitudes, each flying the same pattern — like a silent choreography in the sky.

How does a holding pattern work?

A holding pattern is defined by a few essential elements:

• Fix point — the geographical reference (a beacon or GPS coordinate)
• Inbound leg — the path toward the fix
• Outbound leg — the path away from it
• Standard turns — usually right-hand, at a precise bank angle
• Timing — typically 1 minute per leg below 14,000 ft

This is where it becomes demanding.

The pilot must:

• Adjust for wind drift
• Maintain precise timing
• Execute consistent turns
• Stay aligned with the defined airspace

There is no room for approximation. A few seconds off… repeated over multiple loops… becomes distance, distance becomes risk.

A moment that matters

Holding is not dramatic like take-off. Not visible like landing.

But it is one of the moments where:

• discipline,
• procedure,
• and precision

define the outcome.

It is aviation at its most controlled — and most unforgiving.

When systems fail, what remains

Modern aircraft manage holding patterns through advanced avionics.

But aviation is built on a deeper principle:

Always have a reliable backup.

Pilots are trained to execute holding patterns manually, using:

• time,
• heading,
• and discipline.

Because technology can fail.
Procedures cannot.

A new mechanical response to a real aviation need

For decades, pilot watches have displayed time. Some have added chronographs, or second time zones. But none addressed this specific moment of flight.

Until now.

The Watch Angels × Alpina Startimer Pilot Chronograph IFR introduces a new mechanical case complication, designed specifically to support the execution of holding patterns.

Not as a gadget, but as a functional, procedural aid.

A tool that translates:

• timing,
• orientation,
• and repetition

into something immediately readable on the wrist.

A pilot watch — finally aligned with pilot reality

This is not about adding complexity, it is about relevance.

A pilot’s watch should not just look like aviation.
It should serve it, especially in the moments that matter most.

Holding patterns are one of those moments.

And for the first time, a mechanical watch acknowledges that.

Discover more

If you want to understand how this works in practice — and experience the logic behind it:

Take the IFR test and explore the watch in detail

Holding Patterns — The Invisible Discipline of Flight was originally published in Watch Angels on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Among them, there will be many “dive watches.” But not all quality mechanical Swiss made dive watches serve the same purpose. Before the spotlight turns on in Geneva, it may be useful to step back and look at the category, because once you understand the segments, you begin to see what you are actually buying.

1. The Luxury Diver

Typical price segment: CHF 8,000–40,000+
This is the most visible and commercially successful category.

Think of the Submariner by Rolex, the Fifty Fathoms by Blancpain, or the Seamaster by Omega. They are defined by high water resistance, refined finishing and strong design-brand recognition. They are equally at home underwater and under a cuff.

These watches became iconic because they achieved three things:

• Clear and stable design codes
• Decades of consistency
• Cultural relevance beyond their technical function

They are rarely reinvented and that is precisely why they endure.

2. The Professional Tool Diver

Typical price segment: CHF 1,700–8,000
Built for compliance and endurance.

Consider brands such as Doxa, Sinn, Oris, or specialised instruments from Tudor. They are defined by higher depth ratings, helium escape valves, thick crystals and iconic dive tool watch design. They are often also certified for industrial or saturation environments. Their purpose is robustness, and their credibility comes from field performance. When they become icons, it’s because professionals relied on them above and below the water, not because they were necessarily fashionable (even if some of them became fashionable exactly for that reason).

3. The Instrument Diver

Typical price segment: CHF 3,000–8,000
The less visible category and often less understood.

It does not compete primarily on maximum depth rating nor on precious materials. Instead, it addresses a different question: Not “How deep can I go?” but “How do I return safely?”

Most dive watches measure immersion time but very few credibly engage with decompression logic. The work of Albert A. Bühlmann transformed diving by replacing instinct with predictive science. Divers like Hannes Keller demonstrated that this science could be trusted at depth.

An instrument diver belongs to this lineage.
It translates decompression awareness — normally hidden inside software — into visible, mechanical logic. The Bühlmann Decompression 02 was built on exactly these principles:

• A clearly defined problem to solve
• A design language that is unlikely to be diluted or seasonally adjuste
• A function rooted in scientific relevance rather than aesthetic
• A conceptual framework strong enough to remain consistent over time

Iconic watches are rarely born from trend cycles. They emerge from clarity of purpose and refusal to compromise that purpose. The Decompression 02 was conceived with that long horizon in mind.

As Watches & Wonders approaches

In the coming weeks, we will surely see evolutions: shaped cases, new alloys, upgraded calibers. This matters because it keeps the technical and aesthetic dynamics of the category. But beneath the novelties, one question remains unchanged: What problem is the watch solving? Expression, endurance or risk management?

None of these categories is superior, each of them simply serves a different intention. Understanding that distinction allows you to choose deliberately.

And in watchmaking, deliberate choices tend to last.

Learn more about the Bühlmann Decompression 02

A clear look at diving watches before Watches & Wonders 2026 was originally published in Watch Angels on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Breathing changes. Time compresses. The body behaves differently. What once felt natural turns deceptive. For decades, diving relied on experience, rules of thumb, and incomplete tables. It worked, until it didn’t.

The real challenge of deep and repetitive diving was never courage.
It was uncertainty.

That uncertainty is what Albert A. Bühlmann set out to eliminate.

When diving outgrew instinct

In the late 1950s, diving entered a new era. Humans were staying longer underwater, going deeper, and diving not only at sea level but also in alpine lakes. Existing decompression models were fragmented, conservative in some cases, dangerously optimistic in others, and often unusable outside very specific conditions.

Bühlmann approached the problem differently. He didn’t start from tradition. He started from physiology.

By studying gas absorption and release in human tissues, and by validating his work through years of controlled chamber tests and real-world dives, he built what would become the ZH-L decompression model, the first truly comprehensive algorithm capable of describing decompression behavior across depths, durations, and altitudes.

It was not elegant for elegance’s sake. It was precise because precision was survival.

The moment theory met reality

A model, however, is only as strong as the moment someone dares to trust it. That moment came with Hannes Keller.

Keller was not a theorist. He was a diver pushing limits no one had reached before. When he undertook extreme depth experiments, there was no historical reference, no safety margin based on collective experience. What existed was Bühlmann’s model, and the confidence to follow it.

At depth, there is no room for belief. Only for trust. Keller trusted mathematics over instinct. And that trust worked.

The success of those dives did more than validate a theory. It marked a turning point: diving had crossed from empirical practice into predictive science.

Modern dive computers, tables, and professional protocols still rely on Bühlmann’s work today, not because it is old, but because it is correct.

From decompression tables to a mechanical instrument

The Bühlmann Decompression 02 was not designed as a tribute. It was designed as a translation.

Its purpose is not to look like a dive watch, but to behave like a decompression instrument. Every element is subordinated to clarity, redundancy, and risk management, the same principles that guided Bühlmann’s research.

• A twin safety bezel, because decompression tolerates no single point of failure
• A dedicated decompression scale, because ascent is as critical as descent
• A layout optimized for legibility under stress, not for symmetry or trend

This is why the watch is uncompromising. It does not shrink to please wrists, nor simplify to appeal to fashion. It accepts its presence, just as the science behind it accepts the realities of pressure.

How it works — and why that matters

The mechanics of the watch are explained in detail in the existing How it Works video, which we invite you to watch or embed here. What matters more than the mechanism itself is the philosophy behind it.

This watch does not measure adventure.
It measures consequences.

It exists for divers who understand that safety is not intuitive — and for collectors who recognise that true innovation is often invisible at first glance.

The Bühlmann Decompression 02 is available exclusively at Watch Angels

Trusting a Model at Depth was originally published in Watch Angels on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

• What idea was truly original?
• What watch could not have been designed any other way?
• Which pieces translated something real — not imagined — into horology?

The Bühlmann Decompression 02 will matter because it belongs to a very small group of watches that are anchored in verifiable science.

It’s the first mechanical watch to place an actual decompression model — still used worldwide — at the center of its design logic. Not as a reference and not as a motif, but as a working framework for how the watch is read and used.

In ten years, collectors will not describe this watch by its design, usability or its water-resistance. They will describe it as:

“That watch which turned decompression theory into mechanical information.”

Limited to 575 pieces, it will not be rare because of scarcity alone, but because no second interpretation can ever be the first.

And firsts are what serious collections are built on: Time forgets trends. Collections remember ideas

You can discover and purchase the watch here

Why Collectors Will Care in 10 Years was originally published in Watch Angels on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Yet only a very small number were conceived as instruments for managing decompression.

That distinction is not semantic. It is fundamental.

Time underwater is not the same as decompression

Most dive watches are designed around a single parameter: elapsed time.
But decompression follows a different logic altogether.

Decompression is not about how long a diver stays underwater, but about how the human body absorbs and releases inert gases under pressure. It is governed by physiology, not by aesthetics or symbolism. It requires an understanding of tissue saturation, ascent rates, stop depths, and cumulative exposure.

In other words: decompression is about risk management.

This is precisely where the work of Dr. Albert A. Bühlmann becomes essential.

From medical research to global dive safety

Working at the University Hospital of Zurich from the late 1950s onward, Bühlmann approached diving not as a sport, but as a medical and physiological challenge. His research focused on how different tissues in the human body absorb and release nitrogen and helium under varying pressure conditions.

What made Bühlmann’s work revolutionary was its completeness.

Unlike earlier models, his decompression algorithm did not only apply to sea-level diving. It accounted for altitude, different gas mixtures, and a wide range of real-world scenarios. Over decades of research, testing, and refinement — often in collaboration with professional divers — his work resulted in the ZH-L16 algorithm and the decompression tables derived from it.

These tables became the backbone of modern dive safety.

Today, Bühlmann’s model forms the basis of most dive computers and decompression software worldwide. It is trusted not because it is theoretical, but because it has been validated repeatedly — in water, in laboratories, and through countless real dives.

Translating science into a mechanical instrument

The Bühlmann Decompression 02 was born from a simple but demanding question:

What if a mechanical watch were designed not to resemble a dive instrument, but to reflect decompression logic itself?

Answering that question required abandoning many conventions of traditional dive watches. It required thinking in terms of procedure, not style.

Decompression involves at least two distinct time concepts:

• total dive time
• decompression stops during ascent

Treating these as a single measurement is a simplification. The Decompression 02 addresses this by separating them mechanically and visually.

Its Twin Safety Bezel® allows the diver to independently track total dive time and decompression stops, each with its own fail-safe logic. The dial layout is not decorative; it is informational. It reflects the structure of decompression rather than the aesthetics of classic dive watches.

Nothing on the watch is symbolic. Everything is intentional.

A watch that assumes knowledge

The Bühlmann Decompression 02 does not try to educate its wearer.
It assumes the wearer already understands decompression.

This is a deliberate choice.

Just as Bühlmann’s tables were created for trained divers, not casual swimmers, this watch is designed for those who recognize the difference between timekeeping and risk management. It is not a lifestyle object inspired by diving. It is a mechanical instrument shaped by it.

That also explains why this watch is not for everyone — and was never meant to be.

Why this watch could only exist now

For decades, decompression logic lived almost exclusively in paper tables and, later, in digital computers. Translating such a complex, safety-critical framework into a purely mechanical form requires not only watchmaking expertise, but also deep respect for the underlying science.

The Bühlmann Decompression 02 exists because that respect guided every decision.
Because the watch was developed with professional divers and decompression specialists.
Because it treats Bühlmann’s work not as inspiration, but as foundation.

There are dive watches. And then there are dive watches.

Most dive watches are designed to survive underwater.
Some are designed to look the part.

The Bühlmann Decompression 02 was designed to support a practice where mistakes have consequences. It reflects the idea that diving is not about going down, but about coming back.

Some watches measure time underwater.
This one was built to help manage the journey back to the surface.

You can learn more and purchase the Bühlmann Decompression 02 here

There are many dive watches in the world. And almost all of them tell time underwater. was originally published in Watch Angels on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Better, Bolder and Safer than its precursor, the Bühlmann Decompression 02 is the functional and usability evolution of the widely acclaimed Decompression 01 first introduced in 2021. It is the first mechanical dive watch to feature a twin safety diving bezel and a twin decompression stops dial to safely manage decompression stops for dives in the “Golden Zone”.

Bolder

The Decompression 02 has been imagined as a professional mechanical dive watch that can be used as a backup to a digital dive computer. It has been built the way it had to be built, with no concessions to established dive watch design conventions.

The Decompression 02 incorporates the ZH-L16 decompression algorithm and has been conceived in collaboration with professional divers. Furthermore, it has been functionally validated by decompression science specialists, including former members of the Bühlmann research team, the Divers Alert Network (DAN) Europe and the World Underwater Federation Switzerland (CMAS Switzerland).

As a young engineer and an enthusiastic diving instructor, deeply interested in decompression research, it has been an outstanding experience to work with Dr. Bühlmann as a research associate, a programmer and a test diver. The Bühlmann Decompression 02 is a marvellous piece of micro-machinery and Swiss precision. It reflects in noble form Prof. Bühlmann’s endeavour to enhance the safety of all divers worldwide, now and in the future.
Beat A. Müller, MSc Mech. Eng. ETH and former member of the Bühlmann Research Team at the University Hospital of Zürich

​Better

The watch introduces several innovative features. It’s the first dive watch to feature the Bühlmann Twin Safety Bezel®, a twin diving bezel that enables the separate tracking of the total dive time (TDT) and decompression stops (DS), each with its own fail safe blocking direction.

The decompression stop times for the 17 dive profiles featured on the Bühlmann Twin Dive Dial® are derived from Dr. A. Bühlmann’s renown dive tables which still, after 40 years, remain among the most widely used and widely adopted by the diving industry, including in dive computers.

My father always believed that science should serve safety. I am proud to witness his groundbreaking work embodied in this exquisite mechanical instrument — and supporting DAN Europe’s research — a true continuation of his life’s mission.”
Thomas Bühlmann, board member Bühlmann Dive Watches

​Safer

Plan, Dive, Fly: The Bühlmann Decompression 02 accompanies the diver in every phase of a dive and after a dive.

How? Firstly, the diver establishes the dive profile in terms of maximum dive depth, the time spent at that depth and the bottom time (BT). This profile is then set on the watch by turning the right crown — the profile data and the related decompression stops time will appear in the opening at 6 o’clock.

Next, the total dive time bezel (inner bezel) is set to 0 by putting the 0 marker in correspondence with the minutes hand before starting the dive. Once the bottom depth is reached, the Diver can follow the chosen dive profile in terms of bottom time on the total dive time scale. When it is time to resurface, the maximum rate of ascent is measured using the seconds hand and the decompression stops at 9m,6m and 3m depth are measured by using the outer decompression time bezel. At the end of the dive, the diver will turn the bottom dial to the “Fly-no-Fly” position and set the indicator to “No-fly”. It will be safe to fly once the arrow points to the green zone.

For what regards the available dive profiles, the Decompression 02 focuses on the “Golden Zone” dive profiles — these are the 17 most common dive profiles for single-tank dives up to 39 meters depth (for dives at altitudes from 0 to 700m ASL). The twin dial construction allows divers to view decompression data through a rotating lower dial, operated mechanically with the crown positioned on the rigth.

The Decompression 02 was designed to complement dive computers, not to compete with them. It’s the mechanical expression of scientific rigour and a limited edition collectible which embodies true Swiss craftsmanship. We built it the way it had to be built: with no concessions to established dive watch design conventions.
Guido Benedini, CEO, Bühlmann Watches

Honouring a common Legacy: DAN Europe Research and Bühlmann Dive Watches.

The Bühlmann Decompression 02 is at the source of a the partnership between DAN Europe and Bühlmann Watches. It represents a shared long term commitment to advancing dive safety through science. At its core is a mutual belief in the power of research to save lives and in the importance of honouring the pioneers who laid the groundwork. Bühlmann Watches will associate the DAN Europe Medical Research Fund and raise awareness about its quest to develop the perfect decompression algorithm, an algorithm which takes the individual diver’s characteristics (sex, weight, age etc.) into account. The legacy of Dr. A. Bühlmann, whose decompression tables remain the global standard, will be used to promote DAN Europe’s ongoing research and educational mission.

Working with Prof. Bühlmann was instrumental in shaping the early stages of my career. At DAN Europe, I am pursuing that mission alongside our research and medical team, evolving universal algorithms into personalised decompression strategies. This watch honours that legacy while supporting vital research that is shaping the future of dive safety.
Prof. Alessandro Marroni, Founder and President, DAN Europe

A portion of each Buhlmann Decompression 02 watch sale will be donated to the DAN Europe Medical Research Fund. DAN Europe members will be able to access an exclusive execution of the watch, featuring the DAN Europe logo, reinforcing their role as ambassadors of safety. This edition is part of the total 575 pieces limited edition.

This partnership is a tangible way for divers to contribute to the future of their sport. By wearing the Bühlmann Decompression 02, they signal their commitment to science, legacy, and the pursuit of safer diving for all.

Technical Features

The 48.50 mm stainless steel Decompression 02 with ceramic bezel is powered by a slim Swiss made Sellita SW300 mechanical automatic movement and has a sapphire crystal.

The other notable features are:

• Legacy-based design and usability: Inspired by Bühlmann’s original circular decompression calculator with “Golden Zone” logic: 17 most frequent dive profiles and a “fly-no-fly” segment
• Twin Safety Bezel®: Two counterrotating bezels for total dive time (clockwise block) and deco time (counterclockwise block)
• Twin Decompression Dial®: Two dials with a rotating sub-dial featuring the ZH-L16 decompression data, visible through a sapphire opening
• XXL minute hand: Enhanced readability for timing decompression stops, total dive time and ​bottom time
• Minimalist hour hand: Keeps visual focus on the minutes hand and the dive and decompression timing
• 5° case inclination: Improves dial legibility
• Helium valve: to prevent damaging the watch after prolonged stays in mixed gas pressurised atmospheres
• Flexible strap joint: Adapts the watch to all wrist sizes for maximum fit and comfort
• Detachable Strap extension: providing the extra length to wear the watch over your wetsuit
• Concave case back: for extra wear comfort
• 575m water-resistance: a depth that matches Bühlmann’s own hyperbaric record and the necessary water-resistance with a sufficient safety margin for diving in the “Golden Zone”
• Special dive box: a unqiue box for that special gift and a practical box to travel with the watch
• Swiss made: a guarantee of horological quality, manufacturing standards and manufacturing sustainability

Prices and edition

The Bühlmann Decompression 02 with the signature “Druckkammer Blue” dial celebrating Dr. A. Bühlmann’s legacy will be manufactured in a limited edition of only 575 pieces.

Retail price is CHF 3'990.00. The watch can be purchased exclusively on watchangels.ch starting December 4th 2025.

About DAN Europe

DAN Europe (Divers Alert Network Europe) is an international non-profit medical and research organisation dedicated to diver health and safety. Since 1983, DAN Europe has offered medical assistance, scientific research, education, and safety initiatives, while also advocating for environmental responsibility and sustainable diving practices.

Swiss horology meets Swiss dive science in the new Bühlmann Decompression 02 was originally published in Watch Angels on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The quest for the perfect algorithm

DAN (Diver Alert Network) research is at the forefront of the search for a safer, more personalized decompression algorithm. By analyzing +130,000 dives from 6000 divers and 600+ DCS cases, researchers have identified critical gaps in current models and are now developing a mathematical, individualised approach to decompression safety. This work goes beyond bubble formation, exploring how personal and environmental factors — such as age, BMI, stress, and altitude — interact with dive physiology.

The ultimate goal is to create a an algorithm that better predicts risk and enhances diver protection. This search fo the next generation algorithm represents the continuation of Bühlmann’s pioneering research into achieving the highest possible diving safety.

Become a contributor to the quest

The partnership between DAN Europe and Bühlmann Watches channels a portion of each sale of the Decompression 02 directly into DAN Europe research efforts. This contribution helps sustain DAN Europe scientific work in hyperbaric medicine and supports the development of more accurate decompression models — advancing diver safety for generations to come.

The DAN Foundation research and the Bühlmann Decompression 02 decompression dive watch honour the legacy of Dr. Bühlmann and are allies in the pursuit of safer diving.

About the Bühlmann Decompression 02

The evolution of the mother of all dive watches. By functionally integrating the Bühlmann ZH-L 16B decompression table values and by featuring and entirely new usability for divers, the Bühlmann Decompression 02 is one of the most ingenious and impressive mechanical dive machines ever made. From the Swiss pioneer of depth and dive security. Order window opens at the end of November 2025.

Register for interest

About DAN Europe

Founded in 1983, DAN Europe is a non-profit foundation dedicated to advancing diving safety through medical research, education, and emergency assistance. With over four decades of experience, DAN has built the world’s largest database of recreational dive profiles and decompression sickness cases, enabling groundbreaking studies on risk factors, physiological stress, and individual susceptibility. Its mission is to protect divers by deepening scientific understanding of human responses to underwater environments and sharing this knowledge through publications, seminars, and global collaborations

Learn more

Missed the previous Decompression 02 content?

The saga continues: https://us17.campaign-archive.com/?u=6bc5376abc134ee4cf2c100c2&id=af983c9869

The 2025 Bühlmann Swiss UW Photo Masters: https://us17.campaign-archive.com/?u=6bc5376abc134ee4cf2c100c2&id=9bde159bae

The why, how & what: https://us17.campaign-archive.com/?u=6bc5376abc134ee4cf2c100c2&id=d71b357d2b

The Divers Alert Network (DAN) Research Foundation  and Bühlmann Watches partner for advancing… was originally published in Watch Angels on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Guido Benedini, CEO of Watch Angels, goes deep into the design, the movement and the usability of this 40mm collector piece which, since its reveal, has been acclaimed by the watch community, watch experts and the media alike for its outstanding design and horological values.

We hope that these insights will provide you with the right information to evaluate if this piece should be part of your collection.

You can discover and order the watch here

Hands-on review of the Frederique Constant + Watch Angels Worldtimer Manufacture Limited edition was originally published in Watch Angels on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

What we say

A collaboration between manufactures in pursuit of innovation. A watch for which each did what it does best to achieve perfection in 40mm.

“Since our founding we innovate by collaborating with best-in-class manufacturers and partners. They’re able to take us out of our comfort zone which is necessary for experimentation and innovation. The collaboration with Watch Angels situates itself within this framework and additionally brings us the feedback of a collector community, further reinforcing our way of innovating which includes closely listening to the market. Niels Eggerding, Frederique Constant CEO

What the media says

“FC’s new version of its WorldTimer with Watch Angels is a complete reinvention of the model that’s just dripping with Patek Philippe vibes. The new case is far sleeker than before with more graceful curves, a mix of brushed and polished finishes and a more subtle, modern crown. It’s both better looking and more wearable. This new WorldTimer reminds me of some of the elegant world-time watches Patek has released over the years, most notably the ref. 5230Pthat launched in 2022. That limited-edition watch — which originally retailed for around $75,000 and currently trades for about $55,000. This is easily the most beautiful and desirable WorldTimer Frederique Constant has ever made, and it finally gives the impressive Cal. FC-718 movement a worthy vessel.

“I am looking for an affordable world timer. Is it even possible?” writes a begrudged Reddit user on a horology-themed thread. As of today, the answer is yes, thanks to Frédérique Constant’s novel partnership with Watch Angels. The new Frédérique Constant + Watch Angels WorldTimer Manufacture offers a take on the grail wristwear, for about a tenth of the price of some of the big names. Responding to the growing demand from collectors and enthusiasts who have traded instant global timekeeping on smartphones for something more refined, this new World Timer reflects a watch brand really listening to its consumers.

“This latest iteration of the Worldtimer Manufacture is a good example of Frederique Constant’s approach to blending appealing designs with in-house mechanics, while keeping the price accessible.

“It’s extremely rare for a brand to agree to modify the design of a watch to this extent as part of a collaboration. To our knowledge, this is unheard of and it clearly illustrates the open-mindedness of Frederique Constant. Well, it has paid off because this watch turns out to have gained a lot from the collaboration and is very successful.

“For those that know watches, the words ‘clean’ and ‘worldtimer’ never appear in the same conversation — until now! With this watch Frederique Constant and Watch Angels have turned a complex display into a sleek and elegant dress piece.

What watch lovers say

One of the nicest worldtimer I’ve seen. At under 4£K £ it opend up a great complication to us. Justin Hast, watch collector and watch book author

I do like a world timer, particularly one that omits the atlas format, and this Collab has produced one of the best looking dials that I have seen in a while (similar to the CFB in certain respects, but at approx 50% of the CFB price). The 40mm size is also just right. Dezza, on oracle time

“ I’ve been looking for something to satisfy my world timer itch since a Patek is out of the question. I have always loved the FC World Timer but at 42mm, it was just too big for me. When I saw this I knew this was the one. Great collaboration between Watch Angels and FC. Amazing quality and design for a fraction of the cost of a Patek. Craig, USA

“ The design is so much more elegant and tasteful while being more useful as well without the date subdial. g_e_r_t_s_o_g

After seeing yourYouTube video and seeing the watch in action, you got me convinced. My long haunt for a GMT/Worldtimer has been a long one. Looking forward to receive my FC Worldtimer! Antonio

Discover the watch

Order window is open until 13.03.2025

Watches are allocated first come, first served.

What we say. What you say. was originally published in Watch Angels on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Geneva-based watchmaker Frederique Constant along with watch collector community and habillage producer Watch Angels, proudly unveil their latest co-creation and co-production: the Worldtimer Manufacture in 40mm. This unique timepiece, encasing the renowned in-house FC-718 world time movement, has been designed for early adopters and marks a design and dimensional evolution of the acclaimed 42mm Classic Worldtimer Manufacture model which it comes to complement.

A new take on a beloved classic

One of the most cherished models in the Frederique Constant “Manufacture Collection”, the FC-718 Worldtimer, has been reimagined with a new design identity exclusively for the collector’s community.

This new version introduces a smaller case featuring a streamlined and dynamically elegant design which comes to complement the maison’s highly successful 42mm classic model: a new and refined iteration which caters to the aesthetic preferences and wearability expectations of an important segment of the watch enthusiast community, offering a versatile alternative to the classic larger size.

A new case and dial

With its subtle curves and sharp bevels — combined with vertically brushed lugs, a horizontally brushed case profile and a polished bezel — the new Worldtimer case combines elegance and dynamism, as well as a striking impression of slimness, despite housing a sophisticated complication.

Achieving the perfect case proportions and an optimal legibility of the world time city disk demonstrates the ingenuity of Frederique Constant’s and Watch Angel’s design and engineering. By inclining the city disk and removing the date, the redesigned three-piece dial prioritises clarity and the effortless readability of the 24 time zones. The result is a clean, contemporary aesthetic with a focus on functionality.

“Since our founding, we innovate by collaborating with best-in-class partners. They are able to take us out of our comfort zone which is necessary for experimentation and innovation. The collaboration with Watch Angels situates itself within this framework, and additionally brings us the feedback of a collector community further reinforcing our way of innovating which includes closely listening to the market.”

Niels Eggerding, CEO Frederique Constant

Masterful Simplicity and Craftsmanship

At the heart of this creation lies the in-house FC-718 caliber, composed of 139 intricately assembled components. Designed with effortless usability in mind, this precision movement allows all functions to be set solely via the crown — no additional pushers are required.

The craftsmanship of the movement is showcased through an extra-large open sapphire case back. It reveals exquisite decorations, such as the Côtes de Genève, the perlage, and blued screws — the hallmarks of Swiss horological excellence. This new Frederique Constant Worldtimer Manufacture in 40mm reflects the Maison’s commitment to innovation, timeless elegance, and the desires of the collector community.

​Edition and prices

The Watch Angels + Frederique Constant Worldtimer Manufacture timepiece is being manufactured in a limited edition of 718 pieces.

During the subscription order window the watch will be exclusively available on www.watchangels.ch.

Recommended retail price: CHF 4'490,00

About Frederique Constant

Founded in 1988, Frederique Constant is a Swiss watchmaking manufacture based in Geneva. Having celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2023, the brand continues to showcase its ever-advancing watchmaking expertise as it pursues its aim: providing Swiss Made luxury watches at fair prices. Through the decades, Frederique Constant has been characterised by creativity and inventiveness — and even more so by mechanical ingenuity and pragmatism. Born out of the shared passion of an independent entrepreneurial couple, Aletta and Peter Stas, Frederique Constant has written its own rules, blazing a trail into territory where none had dared venture before. Today the brand proudly offers a range of quartz and mechanical models — and most importantly, a collection of 33 calibres designed, developed and assembled in its own Manufacture at Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva. These movements include Tourbillon, Perpetual Calendar, Flyback Chronograph, Worldtimer, Power Reserve and Big Date complications as well as the Monolithic escapement, made out of a single piece of silicon and beating at a rate of 40Hz. Frederique Constant presently has close to 3,000 points of sale in 120 countries. To pursue its international expansion and develop new synergies, since 2016 the Frederique Constant Group (Frederique Constant, Alpina Watches, Ateliers deMonaco) has been part of the Japanese group Citizen. Frederiqueconstant.com

Frederique Constant and Watch Angels present their unique co-creation: the new Frederique Constant… was originally published in Watch Angels on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.