Pre-Baselworld 2015 – Introducing the MCT Frequential One F110 (specs and price)

For Baselworld 2015, one of our favorite independent watchmakers will introduce their most affordable watch. This ‘value proposition’ is far, very far, from being an underrated timepiece. MCT (Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps) chose to keep what makes its strong DNA, however also slightly simplified the display, without any compromise on the beauty of the movement and of the details. It’s called the MCT Frequential One F110 and we’re explaining it to you just before Baselworld.

MCT’s Sequential collection comprises the 45mm square-shaped MCT Sequential One, the Sequential One S110, and the round Sequential Two. These watches feature a very unusual and highly entertaining display, composed of a rotating module with prisms for the hours. The square Sequential One models indicate time with a retrograde hand on 270° for the minutes and a central module moving from 90° every hour. On the round Sequential Two, the central minute hand makes a 360º rotation. The prism mechanism, as superb and technically advanced it can be, remains a complicated piece of horological engineering, meaning it has a significant influence on the price (close to six figures in Euros, CHF or USD). In order to make MCT watches available for more collectors and to expand its notoriety, MCT decided to go for a simpler watch that remains totally in the vein of their previous creations.

The first point that has to be said about the MCT Frequential One F110 is that, even without the prisms, it’s immediately clear that the Frequential One is proper MCT, and features most of the brand’s DNA. It brings back the now iconic square-shaped case with the double skeletonized lugs. With its smaller dimensions at 42mm (instead of 45mm) the case becomes easier to wear. The case is made of several layers of Grade 5 titanium, polished, bead-blasted or brushed and then coated with black DLC. Another very important details, is that it keeps its “sandwich construction” with a strip of sapphire crystal in the caseband, in order to bring some light on the movement and its Geneva Stripes.

Another detail that refers to the previous watches is the cross-shaped bridge on the top – similar to the one we can find on the complicated MCT Sequential One S110. However, what really catches the eye is the floating balance wheel that sits right in the middle of the dial and that seems totally separated from the rest of the movement. The main idea was to bring this centrally-mounted and suspended escapement module together with a traditional display of hours and minutes. From this starting point, the main challenge was to bring the escape wheel to the center by moving the transmission from under the movement into the middle. As you can see, time is not displayed by rotating modules with prisms and a retrograde hand but by two classical rotating hands.

It could seem easy to achieve but however, the hands are not mounted on a classical axis that comes out of the movement. Instead, they are guided by a ball bearing, are seen on the outside of the central escapement and placed on a ruby roller. The movement is fully developed and design in-house by the MCT teams. The MCT Frequential One F110 shows fully blackened bridges with haute-horlogerie finishes: skeletonized bridges to hold the barrels, hand-polished beveled angles, Geneva stripes and circular graining. It features, together with the centrally mounted balance wheel, two-barrel and a power reserve indicator at 12.

The MCT Frequential One F110 might get rid of the superb and unusual MCT display, it however brings the opportunity to have a very cool piece of modern horology, with interesting animations on the dial (spacial hands and suspended balance wheel) for a more reasonable price, as it will be available for 44.500 Swiss Francs (ex. taxes).

More about it on www.mctwatches.com