Swiss watchmaker Frederique Constant has partnered with Filipino artist Dex Fernandez for a mono-edition release of five remarkable timepieces with unique hand-painted dials. A collaboration of monumental firsts, these pieces will be sold at the “Wear Your HeART” private online auction.
In the past years, we have seen watchmaking collaborations across a whole spectrum of products, including streetwear, survival gear and more. Now, Frederique Constant’s Passion Collection brings Philippine art into the world of luxury watches.
“Indeed, this is the first time that we commissioned an artwork for our timepieces. We are very excited about this project,” says Niels Eggerding, Frederique Constant’s managing director. With the brand’s in-house production process and hands-on craftsmanship, they’ve always aspired to make luxury Swiss timepieces accessible. The partnership with Fernandez is their entry into the world of one-off timepieces: something highly sought after by collectors.
Fernandez is best known for his street art character, Garapata (tick), which has appeared on walls across the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan. He has also joined exhibits in New York, Tokyo, Paris, and Singapore.
“They embody the Filipino character: they’re both resilient and they go everywhere,” Fernandez says. “They always look for a host. So now, Garapata found a new host in Frederique Constant.”
For the collaboration with Frederique Constant, Fernandez has hand-painted his signature character onto the dial of each watch in the collection, a first for the muralist.
“It’s like telling a story in five words,” Fernandez says, explaining that the paintings aren’t just for decoration. “You have to look deeper and you will see the message,” he says. “Given the situation we are all in at this time, I really thought of inspiring concepts to motivate the wearer as well as the people who will see the watch.”
The Passion Collection
The Passion Collection consists of models such as the 10:10, where the position of the timepiece’s hands reflects that happiness is a state of mind (Starting bid: P200,000); Move, which encourages the wearer to let go and be free (Starting bid: P250,000); Flow, which is is all about riding the tide of time, with Garapata characters posing across the dial (Starting bid: P250,000); Balance, which reveals its message when the hour and minutes hands are perfectly aligned at 9:15 and 12:30 (Starting bid: P200,000); and Solidarity, which shows how supports keeps us going by linking Garapata characters together on the face of the watch. (Starting bid: P250,000).
Living Your Passion
“‘Live your passion,’ has always been Frederique Constant’s guiding principle,” Eggerding explains. “It’s the relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence that make our watches special. That’s why we partnered with Dex Fernandez, an artist who understands that passion.”
“Art and watchmaking are very complimentary and very similar,” he continues. “Creating a watch is an art form, there are so many things to consider to make the final work look grand.”
“Watchmaking is a precise science and pays homage to the skills of the watchmaker, the human being, to incorporate art into the aesthetic beauty of a timepiece would only elevate its value and make the piece even more unique.”
With this collection, we see what both fields can do together. Each watch in this five-piece collection is entirely distinct from all the others, making them highly collectible.
“This is a rare opportunity to own a special object,” Fernandez says. “I hope it goes to a good collector who will enjoy the watch and the message of my work.”
But knowing the spirit of the Garapata, these watches are likely to head anywhere, and they’ll keep ticking as long as they have a host to wear them.
The Wear Your HeART auction for the Passion Collection will be conducted in a private online group from May 4 to 11. Registration for the auction is open until April 29 (Fri.). This event is sponsored by Tempus, a retail watch concept of Wizer Industries, Inc. If you’re interested in placing a bid, get in touch with Nikko Tiongson: galacnikko@gmail.com +639178430516
Learn more about the Passion Collection here: tempus.com.ph/passion-collection/
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