Frederique Constant vs Seiko: Which Is Better?

The Frederique Constant Highlife Automatic COSC runs the FC-303, chronometer-certified, at 28,800 vph (4 Hz) with 26 jewels and a 38-hour reserve. The Slimline Moonphase Manufacture runs the in-house FC-705 at 28,800 vph with 26 jewels, a 42-hour reserve, moonphase and pointer date. The Classic Moonphase is Swiss quartz.

Seiko's Prospex SPB143 and Prospex Alpinist run the in-house 6R35 at 21,600 vph (3 Hz) with 24 jewels and a 70-hour reserve; the Seiko 5 Sports runs the 4R36 at 41 hours. Seiko's reserve is 28 to 32 hours longer than either Frederique Constant automatic, but neither Seiko is COSC-certified and Frederique Constant's FC-705 is the only in-house complication here.

Frederique Constant: the Highlife is 39mm steel with convex sapphire and 100m (10 ATM) and an interchangeable strap system; the Slimline Moonphase is 42mm with convex sapphire and 30m (3 ATM). Seiko: the SPB143 is 40.5mm super-hard-coated steel with sapphire, unidirectional bezel and 200m (20 ATM); the Alpinist is 39.5mm with sapphire, cyclops, inner compass bezel and 200m.

Frederique Constant's watches are dress watches with dress-watch ratings. Every Seiko here is rated for diving or the field.

Frederique Constant runs $1,000–$1,500 (Classic Quartz Moonphase), $1,500–$2,500 (Highlife Automatic COSC) and $2,500–$5,000 (Slimline Moonphase Manufacture). The Seiko models in this comparison run $250–$500 (5 Sports), $500–$1,000 (Alpinist, Samurai) and $1,000–$1,500 (SPB143). They meet only at $1,000–$1,500, where Frederique Constant fields a quartz moonphase and Seiko fields the in-house automatic SPB143. If you want a Swiss automatic from Frederique Constant, budget one band above the Seiko.