Handsome New Chronographs Expand the Raymond Weil Millesime Collection

Raymond Weil’s Millesime collection has fast become the brand’s bestseller, thanks to its convincing retro design, decent outsourced automatic movements, and competitive prices. The Millesime Chronograph was added to the collection last year and stands out with its attractive reverse panda dial references. The latest 39mm chronographs, available in steel with a grey dial and a rose gold PVD-coated case with a black dial, pack a pretty stylish punch.

A surprise for many who were unfamiliar with the brand, the Millesime Small Seconds marked the debut of this successful collection in 2024. Founded in 1976, Raymond Weil’s Millesime and its elegant sector dial were not based on anything from the company’s archives but were designed to pay homage to a specific period in timekeeping history when refined, simple design was the norm. The period selected coincides with the 1920s-1930s when sector dials were in vogue. Governed by their strict geometry and fine gradations, the purpose of sector dials was to enhance legibility.

The three new chronographs share almost identical specifications with earlier editions but have a slightly smaller case diameter of 39mm (compared to 39.5mm), although the 12.9mm thickness and 50m water-resistance are retained. Available in steel and rose gold PVD-coated steel, the flat bezel and case flanks display a bold vertically brushed finish. The piston pushers, the large, fluted crown, the top surface of the drilled lugs and the chamfer on the bezel are polished for contrast. While the piston-style pushers add a nice retro touch, the large flat surface area makes them more comfortable to activate.

Underscoring its vintage personality, the dial is protected by a glassbox sapphire crystal, producing a magnifying effect on the tachymeter scale. Featuring the collection’s signature sector dials, the different sections are clearly delineated. The peripheral tachymeter scale and precision minutes/seconds track are followed by a wider track, or chapter ring, for the applied baton hour markers, treated with Super-LumiNova. The central area features an embossed crosshair and a classic tricompax layout with running seconds at 9 o’clock, 30-minute elapsed times at 3 o’clock, and a 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock.

The rose gold PVD model has a sleek black dial with white sub-dials and black markings; the steel model has an anthracite dial with silver peripheral tracks and sub-dials with red markings that match the tip of the central chronograph seconds hand. The obelisk-style hour and minute hands on all the references are brushed and treated with luminescent material.

The snapped caseback has a sapphire crystal providing a view of the RW5030 automatic chronograph (Sellita SW510 base) movement and its customised rotor. A cam-operated chronograph using the architecture of the Valjoux 7753, the movement operates at 4Hz and delivers a respectable power reserve of 62 hours.

These seriously attractive chronographs are not only compact, well-built and designed, but they also come with an acceptable price tag. The handsome rose gold PVD model, paired with a black calfskin strap and traditional buckle, retails for EUR 3,895. The steel model can be ordered with a camel calfskin strap for EUR 3,725 or a 5-link steel bracelet with a folding clasp for EUR 3,850.

More information at Raymond-Weil.com.