Swiss watchmaker Raymond Weil has added to its repertoire by innovating and creating a new movement in collaboration with Sellita. This exclusive movement Caliber RW1212 was developed and designed by the R&D department of the Geneva watch company and produced by the movement manufacturer based in Le Cret-du-Locle, in the Jura Mountains.
Its distinctive characteristic is the 6 o’clock front-dial positioning of its regulating organ. Named Caliber RW1212 as a nod to the postal code of the company headquarters in Grand-Lancy, it pays tribute to 40 years of Raymond Weil creations and to the Brand’s determination to highlight the richness of watchmaking expertise, while infusing it with its uniquely free-spirited attitude.
Raymond Weil introduces a model with a boldly distinctive design, notably featuring an open-worked dial revealing the regulating organ at 6 o’clock. The balance-and-spring assembly, held by two bridges, reveals a construction echoing that of the most beautiful tourbillon regulators. The freelancer Caliber RW1212 is a two-hand model providing an understated display of the hours and minutes.
It took 18 months for the R&D team at Raymond Weil to develop the movement and design the dial revealing the regulating organ at 6 o’clock. All the elements closely relating to the regulating organ were redesigned and pared down, so as to endow this in-house movement with its subtle transparency. The caliber then sprang to life in the hands of the Sellita watchmakers.
Framed by a 42.5mm steel case, the balance-and-spring assembly is the focus of attention. The diamond-polished balance wheel and skeletonized bridges ensure transparent visibility extending to the very heart of the watch. Powered by a mechanical self-winding movement, the freelancer Caliber RW1212 has a 38-hour power reserve.
Its oscillating weight is adorned with a Cotes de Geneve motif and engraved with the Raymond Weil logo. The movement is built in such a way as to showcase its beautiful mechanism on the dial side. The strategic organs positioned above the main-plate and the symmetry of the bridges accentuates the architectural nature of this elegant and beautifully balanced model. The freelancer Caliber RW1212 comes in several versions, featuring a silver-toned or black dial teamed with a steel case and bracelet, or with a leather strap, as well as in two-tone variations featuring matching bracelets or leather straps.
