Watch Dandy

Raymond Weil, one of the few independent, family-owned operations in the Swiss watch industry, marked their 40th birthday this year. And while I’m sure there was cake, and perhaps even champagne, the best part of the celebrations has to be the Calibre RW1212. This automatic movement, with distinctive open-heart escapement, is unique to Raymond Weil, designed in-house and made by Sellita. RW1212 marks the first time Raymond Weil have dipped their toes into the deep (and often murky) waters of in-house movements, and it’s a testament to the brand that they’ve been transparent about the movement’s design, development and construction, and they’ve made a mechanism that meets their needs, in that it’s a solid, robust automatic, with a touch of drama, thanks to the design of the escapement, which has been positioned in such a way to allow an uninterrupted view from the dial-side, suspended via a diamond-polished double bridge, a look that evokes (very consciously, I suspect) the placement of a tourbillon. While closer inspection (of the watch, or the price tag) reveals that the RW1212 isn’t a tourbillon, the effect is somewhat the same — allowing the user to see the beating heart of their watch. It’s a…

The post HANDS-ON: Raymond Weil Freelancer Calibre RW1212 – a new movement in the house appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.

The story in a second: Disco might be dead, but the ’70s live on in Oris’ latest re-edition. A decade for experimentation, the ’70s was an era of bold shapes and brightly coloured designs (men’s turtleneck ponchos, anyone?). While many of these experiments should never be repeated (men’s turtleneck ponchos), there are a few special exceptions. One of which is the Oris Chronoris. Released in 1970, it was the brand’s first foray into the world of motorsport and their very first chronograph. Since then, Oris has built a strong stable of auto-themed watches. Maintaining connections to the sport of motor-racing with partnerships including Audi Sport and Williams’ F1 teams. Oris first paid tribute to the Chronoris in 2005, in the shape of a retro-themed chronograph, and once again have honoured the one that started it all, with the release of the Oris Chronoris Date. The case The case of the Chronoris Date takes most of its design cues from its retro predecessor. Barrel-shaped with cut-out 19mm lugs, its rounded curves are fully polished, except for on top where a radially brushed finish creates a dazzling sunburst effect. This effect also draws the eyes towards the wonderfully double-domed AR-coated sapphire crystal, which not only…

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