No, I’m not sorry about the title – I’m too busy looking forward to these Millesime Chronographs!
Ah, Raymond Weil – a watch brand once relegated to the background of the industry. Don’t try to argue; you know this has an element of truth to it! I don’t like to admit it as much as the next person (or Raymond Weil themselves), but like me trying my hand at bouldering, it was challenging for the brand to find its footing. And it would have stayed that way, were it not for last year…
In 2023, Raymond Weil was on the warpath, taking a page out of Die Hard’s book and coming back With a Vengeance. Releases like the Freelance Pilot Flyback (click here to read more on this piece!) or the Jean-Michel Basquiat collaboration (click here to read more!) came flying from left, right and centre, rejuvenating the brand and showing the watch world that this was not the same Raymond Weil.
Their crowning achievement would come later in the year, however, as it was announced that they had taken the GPHG award for the ‘Challenge Watch’ Category (click here to see more) (Best Watch Under CHF$2,000). For those unfamiliar, the GPHG is like the Swiss Watch Oscars, so for Raymond Weil to take it was a massive deal!
Raymond Weil knows they’ve struck gold, and with these new chronographs released for Watches and Wonders 2024, they seem to have struck even more. All of us here at WatchAdvice were genuinely swooning over the Raymond Weil Millesime Chronograph, and when you look at it, too, it’s not hard to see why. Sticking with the minimalist design cues of the OG Millesime would get pretty dicey when trying to make a chronograph version, but the Raymond Weil craftsmen can do it with no trouble. The multi-finish dial remains, as does the signature sector dial, but with a few extra touches for functionality and aesthetics.
Three subdials now adorn the watch, including a 12-hour and 30-minute chronograph timer, and the small-second complication moved over to the 9 o’clock subdial. Less obvious is the tachymeter scale, which now sits above the minute track, where the printed markings have been shortened and thinned out to make way for the adjoining chronograph seconds track. The case remains relatively the same, with a familiar leather strap, now including chronograph pushers. Two colours of the Millesime Chronograph exist – Classic Black and a Blue/Silver concoction, the latter of which both Chamath and I had a moment of adoration over.
In the movement department, the automatic Cal. RW5030 returns, featuring an updated take on their business partner Sellita’s SW510. This calibre maintains the 56-hour power reserve and 4Hz/28,800 beat rate of the original but includes greater finishing, detailing, and a custom Raymond Weil rotor. Sellita, a staple of Swiss movement manufacturing, has a reputation for producing ‘Ol’ Reliable’ movements similar to Swatch Group’s ETA, so while it may not necessarily have the exceptional ‘wow’ factor that other in-house developed movements may have, realise that they, like Raymond Weil, have experience in underpromising yet overdelivering, producing an exceptional timepiece for the mere AUD$6,500 price point.
Final Thoughts
When I first heard that Raymond Weil had won the ‘Challenge Watch’ category, I was furious – How dare they do this to Studio Underd0g and my beloved Watermel0n watch! But as time progresses, I realise Raymond Weil’s level of excellence at the price point is scarcely believable. Having handled the Millesime for myself (Review coming soon!), it’s hard to believe that the watch is under AUD$3,000. So, looking at the design and mechanics of the Raymond Weil Chronograph, it’s a hard one to pass up.
I love to root for ‘underdog’ brands. It keeps my opinion fresh and gives me a fat rush of serotonin when I gleefully say, “I told you so!” It’s why I have always been in Raymond Weil’s corner, but nothing got me over the line to seriously consider one – until late last year.
So, if you’re like me and you’ve walked past the Raymond Weil brand one too many times, I advise you to take a long, hard look—because they are coming in hot and ready to shake up their market again.
Reference: 7765-STC-20001 (Black), 7765-STC-50651 (Blue/Silver)
Specification
- Case: 39.5mm case diameter, 12.9mm thickness
- Case Material: Stainless Steel
- Dial: Full Black/Blue with Silver accents and subdials
- Crystal: Scratchproof Sapphire glass with anti-reflective coating
- Water resistance: 5 Bar (50m)
- Movement: Automatic Cal. RW5030 chronograph with 12h, 30min timer
- Movement Frequency: 4hz (28,800 VpH)
- Power reserve: Approximately 56 hours
- Bracelet: Black/Blue calf leather with steel pin buckle
