From a life of travel to heading back to his roots in Mindanao, his lifestyle has drastically changed since the pandemic. And he’s facing a new world with the Frederique Constant Highlife.
Marco Lobregat, a son of a political scion from Mindanao, became a media personality abroad doing reports from countries like Brazil, Switzerland and Japan.
During the start of the coronavirus pandemic last year, Marco and his other co-workers were immediately sent home to their respective countries.
Upon his arrival in the Philippines, Marco, initially stayed in Batangas, but eventually found his way to Zamboanga—the province where he was born and raised. The story of Marco is story of a lot of our OFWs.
From a life of travel to heading back home to the Philippines, Marco’s lifestyle has changed since the pandemic. And he’s facing the new world with the Frederique Constant Highlife.
For Marco, the world was never out of reach. Having lived in places like Japan, Switzerland, Finland and Brazil as part of his work in media and advertising for the last two decades, everywhere was always just one plane ride away.
“My lifestyle was very much international, in the last three years, especially,” Marco says. “As I was living and working abroad, my main job was to produce country reports.”
This meant staying somewhere new for two to three months at a time, getting a feel of the place and making a home out of it for his stay. But early last year, the pandemic began to spread like wildfire across the globe.
“Japan was one of the first countries that was hit by the pandemic. I had to decide with my company what we would do. We pretty much sent everyone home,” he recalls.
But home didn’t mean what it used to. With the whole world scrambling to deal with the outbreak, no one was traveling, and everyone was staying indoors. He first settled in Batangas, then moved to Zamboanga to be with family and stay in their resort.
While his life in a suitcase might be on hold for now, that doesn’t mean he’s stopped moving. Marco has been making the most of his time, exploring new cuisines, going on treks in the local parks and trails, developing ways for his family’s resort to be more sustainable. And throughout all this, Marco has had a constant companion on his wrist: the iconic Frederique Constant Highlife Automatic COSC.
With elegant, curving lines on the case and an overall clean presentation, the Highlife Automatic COSC offers a classic, versatile design that can be adapted to suit your lifestyle. A date window at the 3 o’clock position brings more functionality, and the globe design prominently etched into the dial reminds you that there is a world out there, still waiting to be explored.
And to add to even more versatility, the Highlife collection has a built-in mechanism that allows you to change straps without using any tools. With an integrated link on the case, you can choose between steel, leather, croc-calf suede, or rubber straps. This lets you take the Highlife from the boardroom to the open road—or elsewhere—with ease and comfort.
“What I like about it is its interchangeable straps,” Marco says. “I don’t really like to keep taking my watch on and off. I’ll probably be using the metal one the most. But because it’s got this classic, elegant look, I can change the strap and easily wear it for another occasion.”
The watch is built with a chronometer movement certified by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC). For a movement to earn this certification, it must first undergo a battery of tests for 15 days, in various temperatures and different positions, making sure that it keeps time to within -4/+6 seconds per day. This makes the watch, which has survived this test, one of the most accurate by modern standards.
Still, the Frederique Constant Highlife Automatic COSC comes at a very attractive price, certainly much lower than other luxury watchmaking houses.
“I’m hoping to make wiser decisions. One of which is affording the right luxuries. And for me being able to be close to my family, being able to work with my hands and still do my work and have my creative ideas come to life are the luxuries I’m so happy to be able to afford right now,” Marco says. “And like the watch: it’s an affordable luxury. In terms of the calibre, it’s really bang for the buck.”
Making the right decisions means being mindful of what you do, where you go, and what to bring into your life. And during these changing times, where every single bit matters, choosing the right watch counts for a lot.
“Right here, not far, within your own country, within your own backyard there are experiences, and things you can do. You don’t have to be stuck,” Marco adds. “There are so many things I want to do in Zamboanga. I’ve picked up sailing, I want to try the experience of sailing a vinta here as well. This watch is going to be with me in everything I do.”
Marco still plans to travel somewhere close to Mindanao when things get better. But family, good food, a place to call home: that’s what matters now. That and a constant companion to go with you on your journeys, wherever that might be or wherever you finally settle down.
About the Highlife Collection
The current Highlife Collection is a revival of the original range that Frederique Constant first launched in 1999. The collection includes three models: the Highlife Perpetual Calendar Manufacture, with an entirely in-house movement; The Highlife Heart Beat, which displays the movement’s balance wheel through an aperture at 12 o’clock; and The Automatic COSC, a certified chronometer that adheres to some of the highest standards in Swiss watchmaking.
“The collection presents a modern yet elegant, or sport chic appearance, true to the brand’s DNA, advocating a case designed to integrate an interchangeable bracelet,” says Niels Eggerding, Managing Director of Frederique Constant. “Our aim is to develop this design and enlarge the collection in order to make it one of our flagship products along with our classical lines.”
Frederique Constant is exclusively distributed in the Philippines by Wizer Industries Incorporated. Check out the Highlife Collection up close, along with other prized timepieces at Frederique Constant’s concept stores at SM Mall of Asia and The Podium. Outside Metro Manila, you can also drop by Tempus SM Lanang Premier and Tempus SM CDO Premier.
This collection will also soon be made available online through www.tempus.com.ph.
