By Jovan Krstevski
I like complicated watches for one thing, they make life easier particularly for people with an inkling for highly technical watches, kind of an irony actually since the watch design is so complex to begin with. So for this episode, Raymond Weil has just released the Maestro Moon Phase watch.
This complicated watch is a classically styled timepiece featuring the brand’s signature elegant moon phase indicator. It is a style like no other and the wonderful theme is something you would want to look at with pleasure. The theme is as complicated as what is really going on inside the watch. Here we see the moon phase complication that synchronizes time with the stars and presented in such a glorious manner, more like a poetry obtained with proper engineering and the arts.
Underneath the smoothly finished 40 mm steel case of the Raymond Weil Moon Phase is a highly reliable Swiss automatic winding mechanical movement, the RW4280. We see the moon-phase indicator located at 6 o’clock. The starry view through the crescent-shaped aperture looks hyper realistic. All the tiny details are ironed out and I love the holistic look all over the dial, no space is wasted and all the concentric circles lead the eye to realized the beauty of this watch that traverses regular time reading alone. The whole dial is an art form, a perfect embodiment of precision engineering and human touches.
The overall appeal of the steel case is modest, from the sleek lugs to the subtle crown, we see an honest design, a testament to a dedicated timepiece. The polishing is superb, and very handsome to be used for all kinds of occasions. The humble case is just the beginning because the moment you look at the dial, there is a whole new story that dramatically unfolds.
Moreover, the delicate wave-like decorated blue, silver or grey dial is finished with polished Roman numeral hour markers and beautiful hands that display the time in an elegant fashion.
Personally, this is a watch you would never take off your wrists. It is something to be proud of. No other mode of time display can get this close to a pleasurable time reading, yes you can have it on an electronic display but it is miles apart.
Going back to the lovely dial, the current date is clearly revealed through the aperture located at 3 o’clock. Fortunately, we do not have a magnified crystal over the date display since it would have made a disturbance to the quiet ambience of the dial layout. The case-back is then fitted with a pane of sapphire crystal, offering a nicer view to the impressive mechanical movement.
The strap choices available for the Maestro Moon Phase are blue genuine leather strap or steel mesh-type bracelet both paired with a stainless-steel folding clasp and a double push-security system. Personally, the blue strap goes with all the variants of the dial.
Finally, the new Raymond Weil Maestro Moonphase is offered in five models all symbolizing the brand’s legacy. For more info, visit Raymond Weil online.
