BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
For a long time, Raymond Weil watches were nice but, honestly, nothing majorly special – they were the stepping stone between not really caring about watches at all and liking practical mechanical watches from the likes of Seiko. A couple of years ago, though, Raymond Weil showed off a new collection called the Millesime, and it was an instant hit and hinted at the brand’s reinvigoration. Now, Raymond Weil is stepping into the world of integrated bracelet sports watches with its new A.R.T. collection.
In the case of Raymond Weil’s new watches, the word A.R.T. is an acronym standing for Art, Refinement and Timekeeping – it’s perhaps not the most imaginative of names, but at least it’s not as ridiculous as ‘persephone’ or ‘intelligentsia’ or something like that. The A.R.T. collection is Raymond Weil’s first range of watches with an integrated bracelet, meaning its shape tapers up in line with the case’s edge rather than leaving ‘shoulders’ either side of where the bracelet would otherwise fasten to the case. An elegant-looking butterfly clasp secures the bracelet links together; it reminds me of the bracelet on Bell & Ross’ BR-05, which is a good thing as that’s an excellent bracelet.
The A.R.T. collection comes in two sizes: 38mm x 9.95mm and 30mm x 7.5mm, both with 100 meters of water resistance. That’s a safe bet for sizing as there’s something for everyone right out of the gates. I expect we’ll see a 40,5mm version soon and perhaps even a mid-30mm version in line with the other watches we’ve seen and written about in that size recently (which you can read about by clicking Vacheron Constantin, IWC and Girard-Perregaux.
For the 38mm size, three dial colours are available across five watches: graphite, sage grey and metallic blue. Metallic blue and graphite are available as dial colours for the two-tone models, which use PVD gold colouring to stand out. A date window is visible at 3 o’clock, looking classy, and a subtle sunray finish contrasts the applied markers well. Behind each dial is the self-winding Sellita SW200 with a 4Hz beat rate and a 41-hour power reserve. A closed caseback hides the movement, which, I think, should be put on show. But it’s not a deal breaker. And the A.R.T. watches are confidently priced deals, with prices starting at €1,995 and rising to €2,095 for the two-tone models, showing where Raymond Weil is aiming.
Sage grey, charcoal blue, and mother of pearl make up the dial options for the 30mm size. The mother of pearl dials come with factory-applied lab-grown diamond markers, and a date window is visible at 3 o’clock. There is a diamond-set bezel option, and even two-tone and full gold colouring are available thanks to the PVD treatment applied to the larger models. In total, there are nine options available for the smaller piece. These watches are powered by quartz movements, and their prices range from €1,525 to €2,975.
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