Hitting the Sweet Spot… The new Raymond Weil Millesime Small Seconds 35mm

Raymond Weil’s Millesime collection, launched in 2024, is a charming retro-inspired family that has caught many a watch aficionado’s eye. Injecting a new lease of life into a brand that was often overlooked, the Millesime family is out to conquer the market of neo-vintage dress watches with modern specifications. Coupled with competitive prices, the Millesime has positioned itself as a worthy contender in the dress watch category. After all, not everybody can afford Patek Philippe’s latest Calatrava – the king of dress watches – that seduced more than a few members of the MONOCHROME team. Following in the successful wake of the larger 39.5mm Millesime Small Seconds, Raymond Weil launches a more compact 35mm case size. Inching closer and closer to perfect dress watch proportions, the Millesime Small Seconds 35mm might well hit the sweet spot.

Founded in 1976, the brand is now in the hands of Raymond Weil’s grandson, Elie Bernheim, the CEO behind the launch of the Millesime. With no strings attached to a venerable ancestor, designers at Raymond Weil were given carte blanche to create their vision of a retro-inspired sector dial watch with contemporary specifications. The elegant geometric dial, a feature found throughout the collection, reflects the sector dials prevalent during the Art Deco period, a display that is enjoying something of a renaissance today.

This is not the first Millesime reference to adopt a smaller case size; the Central Seconds and Moon Phase models were downsized last year. Sitting alongside the larger 39.5mm Millesime Small Seconds, the three new 35mm references have a case thickness of 10.25mm. The three-part stainless steel case has a flat, vertically brushed bezel and case flanks. In contrast, the screwed lugs (good for strap swapping) and the bevel of the bezel are polished. While dress watch purists might turn their noses up at the brushed components of the case, the finishing echoes the brushed area in the dial’s centre. Reaffirming its retro personality, the dial is topped by a glassbox sapphire crystal.

Available in three dial colours – anthracite, salmon and silver – the attractive sector dial is divided into distinct geometric areas. The three concentric tracks, progressing in size from seconds (180 short markers) on the periphery to minutes (60 medium markers) and hours (12 thick markers), facilitate precision time readings. Another feature often found on sector dials is the embossed crosshair in the centre, dividing the area into four segments and decorated with a vertically brushed finish. The recessed small seconds counter invades the hours track and shares a similar smooth matte finish.

In addition to the geometric sections, the dial is decorated with different finishes, creating different tonalities of the base colour. The chapter ring with the hours, for example, is smooth, while the minutes and seconds tracks are snailed. The anthracite model stands out with the mint green colour used to highlight the peripheral tracks on the dial and the small seconds counter. In keeping with contemporary expectations, the indices and hour and minute hands are treated with Super-LumiNova.

The watch is powered by the calibre RW4251 based on a no-frills Sellita SW261 automatic movement with small seconds and a customised W-shaped rotor. Visible on the caseback, this standard automatic has a 4Hz frequency and a power reserve of 41 hours.

The salmon and silver dial references are paired with grey calfskin straps, and the anthracite model has a brown one. All three Millesime Small Seconds 35mm share a retail price of EUR 2,050 (incl. VAT) and can be purchased directly from Raymond-weil.com. An optional 5-link stainless steel bracelet is also available, bringing the price to EUR 2,150.