After being caught in a rut of division retailer fodder, plainly Raymond Weil has been hitting its stride over the previous few years. Whereas some could also be eager on its musically-inspired watches, it’s the Freelancer assortment the place the model is basically beginning to come alive. Fortunately, it’s additionally the place the model seems to be focusing a number of its efforts, with skeleton dials, chronographs, and GMTs all displaying an edgier facet. Now, Raymond Weil is entering into the pilot watch recreation with the brand new Freelancer Pilot Flyback Chronograph Restricted Version.
The one pilot model watch within the model’s total assortment, the Raymond Weil Freelancer Pilot Chronograph LE might throw you off with its case ending. Whereas it definitely seems to be titanium, 42mm case is definitely stainless-steel with a gray PVD coating. The coloring together with the brushed end provides the watch a extra rugged look which I believe works effectively with the inexperienced dial and the model. The case’s kind is sustained from the remainder of the Freelancer assortment, with lengthy, beveled lugs that don’t appear to supply a lot curve to melt the scale. The two o’clock pusher is used to cease, begin, and restart, whereas the 4 o’clock pusher operates the reset and flyback capabilities. The screw-down onion crown—a pilot watch staple—helps to carry the water resistance as much as 100m and options the RW emblem. At 13.8mm thick, this watch ought to supply balanced proportions on the wrist, as long as you’ll be able to handle 42mm. The watch is paired with a riveted brown leather-based strap with curved ends that evokes traditional pilot straps and closes with a push-button deployant clasp.
Underneath the sapphire crystal, the military inexperienced dial reinforces the army and power vibes of the watch. Various finishes are working in live performance for what seems to be a stunning dial: tough graining on the hour observe (meant to evoke the feel of a tarmac), tremendous graining on the sunken heart, and round grooving on the subdials, which sit on the identical airplane as the middle dial. The serif hour numerals are crammed with Tremendous-LumiNova, as is the just about propeller-shaped handset. The dial is obtainable a little bit of pop with the yellow central and subsidiary chronograph arms that rely off seconds and minutes. The dial is accomplished with the working seconds subdial at 9 o’clock. Whereas there may be definitely loads of room, the model opted to forgo a date window, which within the wake of a certain recent pilot chronograph release, will doubtless be welcome by most.
The Raymond Weil Freelancer Pilot Flyback Chronograph is powered by the automated RW5530 caliber. Seen via a sapphire crystal etched with a propeller design and restricted version numbering, this flyback chronograph motion contains a column wheel mechanism, for crisp motion. The flyback mechanism means you’ll be able to restart the chronograph with out resetting it, permitting for speedy timing of consecutive occasions (or simply an entertaining operate whilst you kill these final 10 minutes at work). The caliber presents a decent 56-hour energy reserve, although particulars past that and the 29 jewels are sparse. This seems to be a wholly new caliber for the model and it has not offered another particulars.
That is what I would describe as a “stylized” pilot watch. Whereas it has some traditional parts, it doesn’t exude the sensible sterility of extra classical pilots watches like these from IWC, nor the sophisticated shows of these from Breitling. That is Raymond Weil getting its toes moist and providing a pilot watch that’s a bit extra enjoyable and lighthearted than these which can enchantment to the diehards, and it’s in step with the model’s cautious however well-executed forays into much less ho-hum choices than these which have outlined it for years. The Raymond Weil Freelancer Pilot Flyback Chronograph Restricted Version is priced at $4,195 USD and restricted to 400 items. For extra info, please go to the brand’s website.
