Hands On: Raymond Weil Millesime Jubilee

Hands On: Raymond Weil Millesime Jubilee The Fifty grows up.Raymond Weil kicked off its 50th anniversary earlier this year with the Fifty, a vintage-inspired limited edition chronograph powered by an appropriately historical vintage calibre. The party continues with the Millesime Jubilee, a larger but more accessible “panda” variant that borrows the Millesime’s “sector” dial and appealing “pump” pushers. Limited to 500 pieces, the Jubilee exchanges the vintage movement for a modern automatic calibre, and looses its predecessor’s white gold bezel. But it retains much of what made the Fifty attractive at less than half the price. Initial thoughts Raymond Weil appears to be claiming renewed relevance after years in the wilderness. Established in 1976, it was one of the few watch brands founded during that difficult period to survive and prosper. Classical designs at accessible prices, backed by widespread advertising, made it a familiar name. At its peak in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the brand was selling some half a million watches per year. But the affordable luxury category became crowded, and Raymond Weil gave up ground to new entrants, languishing for a number of years. The Millesime has given the brand a more convincing identity, combining familiar vintage styling with unusually good attention to detail for the money. The Jubilee chronograph is no exception. The conical flange carrying the tachymeter scale is particularly appealing. Attractively snailed, it slopes gently towards the edge of the dial, sitting above the dial base with a clean border defined by an expensive-looking polished ring. While the Fifty remains the more interesting watch mechanically, the Jubilee offers a bulletproof movement and a much more accessible price. At just CHF3,895, the Jubilee retails for less than half the price of the manually wound Fifty. The Fifty grows up Beyond the contrasting “panda” sub-dials, the biggest difference between the Jubilee and the Fifty is size. The Jubilee measures 39 mm across and 12.9 mm thick, making it 2 mm larger in both dimensions. As is often the case with vintage-inspired watches, contemporary movements and cases tend to produce larger watches, and many vintage remakes struggle to preserve the proportions that made the originals appealing. The Longines Master Monopusher is another overly large vintage throwback. Raymond Weil could have opted for a manual-winding variant of this platform, but the reduction in thickness would probably not be enough to offset the convenience of automatic winding. That said, 39 mm is still compact enough for a modern automatic chronograph. The box-form sapphire crystal and clever case architecture, which takes several cues from the Patek Philippe ref. 1463, help keep the perceived thickness in check. The drilled lugs help cement the vintage feel of the design, as do the rounded “pump” pushers that feel good under the forefinger and thumb. The lack of a date is another appealing touch in keeping with the vintage inspiration, and another thing that many brands tend to overlook. The dial is also more colourful than it appears. At most angles, the Jubilee appears to sport a typical black-on-white “panda” layout, but the sub-dials are actually midnight blue. The centre dial, for its part, looks silver in most lighting but is in fact very light blue. The embossed centre, grained hour track, and snailed flange give the familiar “sector” layout a degree of textural interest without overwhelming its design. Industrial watchmaking done well Unlike the Fifty, which was powered by a “new old stock” Valjoux 236, the Jubilee contains a more quotidian calibre. What Raymond Weil calls the RW5030 is a Sellita SW510, part of the broader Valjoux 7750 family, configured with two sub-dials and no date. The platform is ubiquitous, but viewed alongside the Fifty’s vintage calibre, the progress of industrial watchmaking is evident. That is not to say the RW5030 is better finished. The Fifty’s Valjoux benefits from hand-finishing, including polished bevels and countersinks, with contrasting treatments on selected bridges. The modern movement nevertheless holds its own on the basis of its pristine execution. Its components may be tumbled and chemically polished, but the resulting surfaces are admirably clean and consistent. Moreover, the platform is extremely mature and well understood by watchmakers all over the world. Though little has been done to dress up the utilitarian calibre — most surfaces have a uniform matte finish — the rotor is open-worked in the shape of a stylised “W” which helps distinguish the look somewhat. Key facts and price Raymond Weil Millesime Jubilee Ref. 7776-STC-65501 Diameter: 39 mm Height: 12.9 mm Material: Stainless steel Crystal: Sapphire Water resistance: 50 m Movement: RW5030 (Sellita SW510) Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, and chronograph Winding: Automatic Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz) Power reserve: 56 hours Strap: Calfskin leather strap with pin buckle Limited edition: 500 pieces Availability: Now at Raymond Weil boutiques and retailers Price: CHF3,895 excluding taxes For more, visit Raymond-weil.com. Back to top.