Mario Canonizado 
The calendars may say ‘2025,’ but for Raymond Weil they still say ‘Comeback Season!’ These two new Freelancer models speak volumes of the Genevan brand’s ambitious repositioning.
Everyone loves a good comeback story. Icons like Seabiscuit, The Mighty Ducks, Robert Downey Jr., and Rocky Balboa have all indelibly carved out a new legacy for themselves atop their previous missteps. Similarly, the watch world is full of comeback stories like these. Brands that may have been overlooked in recent years have suddenly thrust themselves back into contention, surging forward with the vigour of a man possessed and dominating the industry’s headlines. When it comes to the modern horological landscape, there are two names that epitomise the comeback story: One of them is TAG Heuer, and the other is none other than Raymond Weil.
In recent times, Raymond Weil has gone through a radical transformation. Once a brand that most watchmakers wouldn’t give a second thought, the independent brand began their directional shift in 2023. The launch of the now GPHG Award-winning Millesime collection that same year is what really set things off for Raymond Weil, ushering them into a new era of horological stardom. While the stunning Millesime would certainly take centre stage at this time – doubling down at last year’s Watches & Wonders with new chronograph, moonphase, and three-hand versions – it almost detracted from the work that Raymond Weil had been putting in behind the scenes.
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What that work entailed, in fact, were deliberate, gradual readjustments to their already distinguished Freelancer collection. Since 2007, the Freelancer has been a major proponent of the Raymond Weil lineup. In 2023, releases such as the Freelancer Pilot Flyback, the Freelancer Diver, Freelancer Square, and the Jean-Michel Basquiat collaboration garnered widespread critical acclaim, cementing its reputation as an elegant yet malleable multi-hyphenate in the brand’s catalogue. At this point, with it now having explored the depths of the ocean, the open road, and even the edges of ambitious haute horlogerie, it seems like Raymond Weil had now finally run out of hats for the Freelancer to wear.
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For this year’s Watches and Wonders, however, that last statement probably could not be further from the truth. Finally bringing the Freelancer back into the spotlight alone, the Swiss brand is now debuting two brand-new versions of their iconic staple! Measuring at 40mm in case diameter with a modest 10.15mm thickness, the new pair of Freelancer Complete Calendars come in a silhouette once only reserved for the Square and GMT iterations of the collection. From their appearance alone, it’s clear that these timepieces are tailor-made for refined and luxurious settings. Embracing a classic and luxurious aesthetic, one reference features a rose gold PVD-coated case paired with a sunray-brushed silver dial and rose gold-plated indexes.
The Moon and stars within the six o’clock complication – drawn from a real NASA image – help to further the refined nature of the watch. Meanwhile, the second Freelancer model has been offered in a more modern stainless steel, accompanied by a similarly finished blue dial accentuated by indexes plated in nickel. The case also bears thoughtful redesigns that contribute to the wearing experience of the watch. Subtle changes to the bezel and the addition of curved lugs enhancing the wearability of the Freelancer Complete Calendar even more. Don’t be fooled, though – despite the dressier get-up, the Freelancer Complete Calendar is still a Freelancer at heart, and comes equipped with 100m of water resistance that leaves it prepared for any unexpected roughhousing.
Of course, the true star of the show has to be the debuting RW3281 automatic movement, sporting a capable 56-hour power reserve. While Raymond Weil has yet to release detail tech specs of the movement, I would take an educated guess that – due to their connections with reputable movement manufacturer Sellita – that this is yet another exclusive calibre made for the Genevan brand. As information is revealed, however, I’ll keep this space updated.
The release of the RW3281 also marks the first time that the brand has implemented the Complete Calendar in the Freelancer lineup. I have to say, they’ve done an incredible job of it! All the required registers – the day, date, month, and moonphase indications – are all legible and intuitive to read, and helps to add symmetry and elegance what is already an incredibly fashionable set of timepieces.
My Thoughts
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We at Watch Advice have had the pleasure of handling Raymond Weil watches on an innumerable amount of occasions, and we’re glad to say that our opinion on them hasn’t changed one bit. Not that it’s a bad thing, you see, as we’ve always held a bit of a soft spot for the brand. They are relatively younger in the watch world, having only been founded in 1976 – yes, that’s considered young around here. Despite this, we always felt that they had just the right amount of heritage and watchmaking legitimacy that, at any point, they could pull themselves up by the bootstraps and begin to take over the industry. Lo and behold, that’s exactly what they’re doing!
With the release of these new Freelancer Complete Calendar watches, Raymond Weil’s brand equity and value proposition have only gotten better. In the modern watch world, there’s plenty of hubbub surrounding the elimination of the middle section, with all the brands once known for being value-driven eventually moving up market. You can’t blame them – that’s where the money is! However, no one has decided to lead the charge in reviving this middle section of horology quite like Raymond Weil has. Accompanied by these releases – and many more that I’m sure are still to come – I think Raymond Weil has, at best, a good chance of inspiring other struggling watch brands to become the next generation of value-driven, capable watch manufacturers. The worst case scenario, on the other hand, is that nobody else picks up the torch. But doesn’t sound bad either, because then Raymond Weil will certainly have that entire market all to themselves.
References: 2766-PC5-64001(Rose Gold PVD)/2766-ST-50001(Steel)
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 40mm case diameter x 10.15mm thickness
- Case Material: Rose Gold PVD/Stainless steel
- Dial: Sunray-brushed ‘Dune’ (Tan-Silver)/Blue
- Movement: Automatic RW3281 with complete calendar (day, date, month, moonphase) complications
- Power Reserve: 56h
- Water Resistance: 100m (10bar)
- Strap: Brown leather strap with rose gold PVD folding clasp/Steel bracelet with butterfly clasp
