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Background Dutchman Peter Stas, 53, studied business economics at Erasmus University and Harvard University. Before diving into the world of watchmaking, he consulted for Loyens & Volkmaars, and was product marketing manager at Royal Philips Electronics. But in 1988, with his wife Aletta, he went out on a limb, starting the watch company Frédérique Constant. They acquired Alpina Watches in 2002 to diversify the business, and seven years later co-founded Ateliers de Monaco, a high-end watch manufacturer based in Monaco. It’s fair to say watches are his life; Stas co-wrote a book in 2013, Living Your Passion: Building a Watch Manufacturer. He is also a keen yachtsman.
Smart thinking Stas was ahead of the curve when he introduced the first “horological smartwatch” in 2015. It’s essentially an electronic smartwatch but has a secondary analogue dial instead of a screen, giving it a more classic look than others on the market. Other brands followed suit, but Frédérique Constant was credited as one of the pioneers of this hybrid.
attainable luxury From the start, Stas wanted to make finely crafted timepieces more accessible—and now that includes the perpetual calendar. Frédérique Constant this year launched its Manufacture Perpetual Calendar, priced at under US$10,000.