Hodinkee Radio

On this episode of The Business of Watches Podcast we drop in on Niels Eggerding, the CEO of Frederique Constant (and sister marque Alpina), at the brand's headquarters in Plan-les-Ouates, Switzerland near Geneva. Eggerding has been in the corner office since 2018 and has steered FC through a series of challenges and triumphs during his time leading the company. The Dutchman has brought more high horology and cool collaborations to the value and volume-driven brand, including perpetual calendars and tourbillons as well as more precious-metal cases. But it's a delicate balance for Frederique Constant as value-priced watches still account for more than 90% of its production volumes. Amid rising input costs and a strong Swiss franc, not to mention the challenge of U.S. tariffs, Eggerding's biggest challenge is maintaining FC's value proposition while burnishing its reputation as a serious watchmaker able to produce high-end timepieces. At the same time, he has to keep delivering sales and profit for the brand's