With its history of watchmaking which dates back to the 16th century, Geneva and its snow-capped mountains and crystal-clear waters of Lac Léman or as it’s better known, Lake Geneva, has influenced the design of RAYMOND WEIL watches for many years. RAYMOND WEIL pays tribute to this picturesque city where the brand was founded and still calls home, with the creation of the new freelancer diver Geneva Limited Edition in recognition of Lake Geneva, the city’s most recognisable landmark.
The blue gradient dial of the freelancer diver Geneva Limited Edition is a nod to Lac Léman, as are the mid-blue tones that populate the upper reaches of the dial. These transition to dark blue hues adjacent to 6 o’clock, reminiscent of the deepest and darkest parts of the lake.
The barrel-shaped hour and minute hands converse with applied indexes and both the hands and indexes are treated with Super-LumiNova®, to help readability in poorly lit conditions. In daylight the luminescent material appears light grey, inspired by the mountains that surround the lake.
At the heart of the new freelancer diver watch is the Calibre RW4200, a Swiss automatic movement with a power reserve of 38 hours. The timepiece is water resistant to 310m, which is the depth of Lac Léman. In fact, it is the lake’s depth which also inspired RAYMOND WEIL to limit the production of this divers’ watch to just 310 pieces.
Another reference to water and lake is the drop-shaped aperture positioned at 6 o’clock, that reveals the date in lucid form. The design of each numeral on the date disc has been optimally shaped to improve legibility, which also extends to the central sweep seconds hand with its ‘lollipop’, a useful feature when using the watch underwater.
The stainless steel case is 42.5mm in size and features a scratch-resistant, rotating black ceramic bezel. As diving convention dictates, the bezel is unidirectional and gives good readability thanks to its light-grey count-up scale and the Super-LumiNova® marker at 12 o’clock.
The rear of the watch is equipped with a screwed-down case-back and engraved with a depiction of the ‘Jet d’Eau’, the famous Genevan landmark. The new freelancer is fitted with a 5-row stainless steel bracelet and folding clasp with a double push-security system.
The freelancer diver Geneva Limited Edition is available exclusively at Beaverbrooks.co.uk, priced at £1,795, and limited to just 310 watches.
Author Bio:
Simon Burrell is Editor of Our Man On The Ground, a member of The British Guild of Travel Writers and professional photographer.
Photographs courtesy of RAYMOND WEIL
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