Ace Jewelers and Frederique Constant Team Up for a Limited Edition Highlife Worldtimer

Ace Jewelers, based in Amsterdam, has carved out a reputation for themselves as creators of some of the best limited edition collaborations between watch brands and retail partners. Yes, this is a category that has been growing steadily over the years, but it’s worth pointing at that Ace has been at it for a long time, well before the watch market reached the state of collab hysteria that we currently find ourselves in. Many collectors are probably aware of their regular limited releases with Nomos (they’ve done six, and they always sell out very quickly) but they’ve expanded their portfolio this year, introducing collaborations with Elka and Nivada. Their most recent LE introduces another new brand into the fold, Frederique Constant, with a version of their Highlife Worldtimer that draws on aesthetic cues established in earlier Ace releases. 

The Highlife Worldtimer remains one of the more compelling Frederique Constant references. The Highlife platform feels refreshingly contemporary (even though it’s based on 1970s design cues) compared to what we often think of when we picture a Frederique Constant in the mind’s eye. If your impression of the brand is that of a maker of watches in a more classical, dressier, and simply old-fashioned style, than the Highlife, a sleek integrated bracelet sports watch, is almost transgressive. And it’s proven to be a worthy canvas for Frederique Constant’s not-so-secret weapon: affordable complications. The Worldtimer, of course, being something of a signature for the brand. 

Many previous Ace LEs have a distinctive red and black motif (the colors of Amsterdam’s flag), and that’s been carried over into their execution of the Highlife Worldtimer. The idea here was to make the watch a bit more subdued and approachable than the standard version. So we get a matte black dial instead of one with a more flashy sunburst finish, and the embossed globe motif seen in regular production versions has also been nixed. The end result is a high contrast dial that is easy to read, with a traditional worldtime layout with a city ring at the outer perimeter. Naturally, the city of Amsterdam is highlighted for this limited release. 

All of the other specs from prior Highlife Worldtimers carry over to this edition. That means a 41mm stainless steel case that measures 12.9mm tall, 100 meters of water resistance, and of course the automatic world time caliber with 42 hours of power reserve. Ace’s limited edition ships on Frederique Constant’s stainless steel bracelet, but also includes a black rubber strap with red stitching to match the dial accents. 

The Ace x Frederique Constant Highlife Worldtimer is limited to 100 pieces, and at press time appears to still be available on the Ace website. The retail price is GBP 3,720, inclusive of VAT. Frederique Constant