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Time+Tide’s collaborations have built a reputation for nudging brands into new territory, often through small but meaningful firsts. The Frederique Constant x Time+Tide Highlife Moonphase Manufacture Onyx Moon is a good example of that approach, pairing the Highlife’s familiar case with an onyx dial and a manufacture moonphase. It’s familiar enough to feel like a Highlife, but different enough that you stop and actually look at it.
The case remains familiar. A 39mm stainless steel Highlife with that slightly rounded, integrated-bracelet shape that’s easy to wear and hard to fault. The fundamental shift happens on the dial. For the first time, Frederique Constant has used black onyx, and it has done most of the work. There are no hour markers. No minute track. Just a deep black stone surface, a date scale, and a moonphase sitting quietly at six o’clock.
A handful of red accents add contrast without breaking the calm. The printing is crisp, the details are sharp, and nothing feels overdone. It stands out against the onyx without trying to steal attention, which is exactly why it works.
Turn the watch over, and the FC-716 manufacture movement takes centre stage. It’s the first moonphase manufacture from Frederique Constant to be put inside a Highlife, and it signals more than a cosmetic update. The dial may draw you in, but the movement confirms this is a genuine step forward for the collection.
The bracelet gets a quiet upgrade, too. This is the only Highlife to come on a five-link, Jubilee-style stainless steel bracelet, which gives it a softer, more refined feel on the wrist. In the box, you also get two quick-release straps: a black nubuck-finished leather option and a black rubber strap. Swapping them out takes seconds and genuinely changes how the watch wears.
Only 100 pieces will be made, each engraved on the case back, and the watch is sold exclusively through Frederique Constant and Time+Tide Watches. It’s clearly not designed to be everywhere, or to appeal to everyone.
What makes this collaboration work is the restraint. Instead of adding more features or louder design cues, it pares things back. Fewer markings. Fewer distractions. More focus on material and mood. It’s a Highlife that feels slower, quieter, and more considered, which is exactly what makes it stand out in a crowded field.
The Frederique Constant x Time+Tide Highlife Moonphase Manufacture Onyx Moon ships at the end of January 2026 and is priced at AUD $8,695, including shipping and taxes.
Frederique Constant x Time+Tide Highlife Moonphase Manufacture Onyx Moon Technical Specifications
Reference: FC-716ONB3NH6B
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, moonphase, date
Movement: FC-716 in-house automatic, 72-hour power reserve
Case: Stainless steel with sapphire exhibition case back
Diameter: 39 mm
Thickness: 12.79 mm
Crystal: Anti-reflective sapphire
Water Resistance: 100 metres
Dial: Black onyx stone with moonphase and date at six o’clock
Bracelet: Five-link stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp
Additional Straps: Black nubuck leather strap and black rubber strap
Limited Edition: 100 pieces
Delivery: End of January 2026
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