With the Classics Runabout Automatic GMT, Frédérique Constant continues its tribute to the legendary wooden boats preserved by the Riva Historical Society. Available in abyss blue and teak brown, this 2026 edition welcomes a GMT function for the first time, driven by a module developed by the Geneva-based Manufacture. Two limited editions of 888 pieces each that naturally invite you to travel.
You only need to mention the Italian lakes, the sunlight reflecting off a varnished mahogany hull and the muffled rumble of a marine engine to conjure up a whole world. That of a carefree elegance, of a dreamed-of Mediterranean and of an art of living where the destination ultimately seems less important than the way you travel.
Since 2009, Frédérique Constant has translated this world into its Runabout collection, before formalising its partnership with the Riva Historical Society in 2013. Founded in Milan in 1998, this association works on the research, conservation and restoration of the historic boats designed by Carlo Riva. A heritage mission that naturally aligns with watchmaking culture, which is likewise founded on preserving expertise, transmission and respect for beautiful objects.
For its 2026 edition, this now-biennial event takes on a new dimension. The Frédérique Constant Classics Runabout Automatic GMT no longer merely evokes travel: it now lets you follow two time zones simultaneously.
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Two dials inspired by water and teak
The new model comes in two references, sharing a polished stainless steel case measuring 42 mm in diameter and 12.85 mm thick.
The first, referenced FC-350RN5B6, features a deep navy-blue dial paired with a black rubber strap. This configuration has a more contemporary and sporty dimension, while retaining the classic elegance characteristic of the Geneva-based house.
The second, FC-350RBR5B6, prefers a warm brown dial accompanied by a brown leather strap fastened with a folding clasp. It establishes an even more direct link with the teak decks and varnished woodwork of the legendary Italian runabouts.
In both cases, the centre of the dial receives a vertical satin-brushed finish made up of parallel lines. This decoration is not merely a graphic effect: it visually reproduces the alignment of the hand-assembled wooden slats on the foredeck of the boats maintained by the Riva Historical Society.
The blue evokes the deep waters of the Mediterranean, the Adriatic or the great Italian lakes. The brown more immediately recalls the warmth of teak and mahogany, enhanced by several coats of varnish.
This approach also marks an evolution compared with previous generations of Runabout, often characterised by silver, chocolate or blue dials adorned with « Clous de Paris » guilloché patterns. As early as 2016, Passion Horlogère was already presenting 43 mm models fitted with the automatic calibre FC-303, produced in 2,888 pieces and delivered with their traditional miniature boat.
A GMT integrated with discretion
Despite the addition of a complication, Frédérique Constant has managed to maintain a relatively balanced legibility. The dial is organised around three concentric zones.
At the periphery lies the minute track. It surrounds the applied indexes and the Arabic numerals positioned at 3, 9 and 12 o’clock. Their slightly retro typography harmonises with the world of classic boats, while their beige luminescent material, also present on the hands, reinforces this vintage tone.
Closer to the centre appears the graduated 24-hour scale. It is swept by a slender central GMT hand, ending in a luminescent arrow. Reading over 24 hours makes it possible to immediately distinguish the daytime and night-time hours of the zone being tracked, without the need for an additional day-night indicator.
The date, for its part, keeps a very classic position at 6 o’clock, in the vertical extension of the numeral 12. The composition thus remains symmetrical despite the amount of information displayed.
From a functional standpoint, this architecture is that of a so-called « caller » or « office » GMT: the second-time-zone hand can be set independently, a particularly practical solution for following the time of a contact, an office or a location abroad.
The FC-350 calibre and its Manufacture GMT module
At the heart of the watch is the automatic calibre FC-350, fitted with a GMT module developed by Frédérique Constant.
The nuance deserves to be underlined. The house does not present this mechanism as a calibre entirely designed from a blank sheet, but as a proven automatic base enriched with a GMT complication produced in-house. This solution makes it possible to combine reliability, ease of servicing and genuine watchmaking content proper to the Manufacture.
The movement has 26 jewels, runs at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour and delivers a 38-hour power reserve. An autonomy that may seem relatively traditional at a time when some calibres exceed two or three days, but which remains consistent with the mechanical architecture chosen and the watch’s price positioning.
Visible through the smoked sapphire case-back, the FC-350 reveals vertical Côtes de Genève on its bridges and on its oscillating weight. The case-back is also marked with the white pennant of the Riva Historical Society, giving the impression that it is floating above the mechanism.
Each watch bears the inscription « Limited Edition – One of 888 ». It is therefore not an individual numbering running from 1 to 888, but an engraving attesting to membership of one of the two limited editions.
A nautical watch
The polished steel case is made up of three parts and houses a convex sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective treatment. With its 42 mm diameter, the Classics Runabout Automatic GMT retains an assertive presence on the wrist. Its 12.85 mm thickness nevertheless remains contained given the addition of the GMT module.
Its water resistance is rated at 5 ATM, or 50 metres. This characteristic is enough to withstand splashes and accompany a daily life close to the water, but is a reminder that this is not a diving watch. The Runabout belongs more to the realm of yachting and sport chic than to that of the tool watch.
This distinction is consistent with the spirit of the collection. The boats that inspire it were not designed to explore the depths, but to move quickly and elegantly across the surface of the water.
The strap moreover accentuates the personality specific to each version. The black rubber of the blue variant brings it a more casual and summery versatility. The brown leather of the teak version, on the contrary, reinforces its classicism and its dressy character.
A tradition aimed at collectors
Like the previous Runabout creations, the two new models are delivered in a box specially designed for the occasion. It contains a miniature replica of a Runabout boat, placed alongside the watch.
This detail has for several years contributed to the charm of the collection. It transforms the object into a coherent and instantly recognisable ensemble, likely to appeal as much to watchmaking enthusiasts as to lovers of boating and maritime heritage.
Passion Horlogère already mentioned this box in 2013, when the first series arising from the partnership with the Riva Historical Society were presented. At the time, the collection combined in particular moon phases, a Manufacture power reserve and models limited to 1,888 pieces. The 2026 edition therefore continues an already well-established story, while introducing a complication that is particularly consistent with the idea of travel.
A coherent proposition for under 2,000 euros
Each of the two Frédérique Constant Classics Runabout Automatic GMT is limited to 888 pieces and offered at a public price of 1,995 euros.
At this price level, the offering proves particularly complete: steel case, sapphire crystal and case-back, visible automatic movement, GMT complication carried by a Manufacture module, worked dial, limited edition and collector box with miniature.
This watch seeks above all to convey an atmosphere. That of varnished woodwork, gleaming chrome, sunglasses and linen shirts worn on the shores of Lake Como. In this exercise, this 2026 edition proves particularly convincing. The choice of a GMT is not an artificial addition: it naturally extends the idea of escape that the collection has carried since its origins.
The blue version looks out to the open water. The brown one already seems moored in front of an Italian terrace. Between the two, all that remains is to choose the destination.
Technical specifications
| Models | Frédérique Constant Classics Runabout Automatic GMT |
| References | FC-350RN5B6, blue dial ; FC-350RBR5B6, brown dial |
| Case | polished stainless steel, three-part construction |
| Diameter | 42 mm |
| Thickness | 12.85 mm |
| Crystal | convex sapphire with anti-reflective treatment |
| Case-back | smoked sapphire, Riva Historical Society logo |
| Water resistance | 5 ATM, i.e. 50 metres |
| Movement | automatic calibre FC-350 with Manufacture GMT module |
| Frequency | 28,800 vibrations per hour |
| Jewels | 26 |
| Power reserve | 38 hours |
| Functions | hours, minutes, seconds, date and second time zone over 24 hours |
| Straps | black rubber and pin buckle for the blue version ; brown leather and folding clasp for the brown version |
| Limited editions | 888 pieces per reference |
| Recommended retail price | 1,995 euros |
| Presentation | collector box including a miniature Runabout boat. |
Frequently asked questions
It is a limited edition inspired by the classic wooden boats preserved by the Riva Historical Society, adding a GMT function to the Runabout line for the first time. It comes in two versions of 888 pieces each, in abyss blue and teak brown.
The FC-350RN5B6 has a deep navy-blue dial on a black rubber strap for a sportier look, while the FC-350RBR5B6 has a warm brown dial on a brown leather strap with a folding clasp, echoing the teak decks of the Riva runabouts.
The automatic calibre FC-350 with an in-house GMT module, running at 28,800 vibrations per hour with 26 jewels and a 38-hour power reserve. It is visible through a smoked sapphire case-back decorated with vertical Geneva stripes and the Riva Historical Society pennant.
It is a “caller” or “office” GMT whose second-time-zone hand is set independently on a central 24-hour scale — ideal for following a contact or office abroad. The polished steel case measures 42 mm across and 12.85 mm thick, with 5 ATM (50 m) water resistance.
Each reference is limited to 888 pieces and priced at 1,995 euros, delivered in a collector box that includes a miniature Runabout boat.
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