The “great blue wave” that has swept through the watch industry in recent years — giving rise to a host of blue dials and straps from brands in every style and price segment — continued into this year’s Baselworld watch fair, as evidenced by two new models from Raymond Weil, called Maestro Blues. Here is what you need to know about them.
Of course, as fans of the family-owned, Geneva-based brand would probably expect, “blues” in this case refers not just to a color scheme but to a musical style. Raymond Weil’s primary theme is music and musicians, especially in the aptly named Maestro series, which in recent years has given us timepieces inspired by the Beatles and Buddy Holly. The new models — one in a polished steel case and the other in a rose-gold PVD-plated steel case, both measuring 40 mm in diameter — are designed to pay tribute to the soulful sounds of the blues, as pioneered by legends like Robert Johnson, B.B. King, and Muddy Waters. The galvanic dark blue dials are enhanced with a wave-like motif that, for some, may call to mind the musical notes of a blues guitar or trumpet echoing through a dark, smoke-filled club.
The dials, each with baton-shaped hour and minute hands and white, applied, Roman numeral hour markers — differ in their layout: the steel model (Ref. 2227-STC-00508) has a cutout at 12 o’clock to display the movement’s oscillating balance wheel, while the rose-gold-PVD version (Ref. 2237-PC5-00508) has an opaque dial with a date window at 3 o’clock. Both are powered by the same mechanical, self-winding movement, Caliber RW4200, which is based on the Sellita SW200 and offers a 38-hour power reserve. The movement, which runs in 26 jewels, is visible through a clear sapphire window in the snap-on caseback.
The watches, which are water-resistant to 50 meters and feature a fluted crown with an engraved RW monogram, are mounted on genuine blue alligator-style calf straps with white contrast stitching and fasten to the wrist by means of a folding clasp with a double-push security system. Prices range from $1,295 to $1,350, and the watch is available now in the U.S. What do you think? Does this blues-inspired watch sing to you or fall flat? Let us know in the comments section below.
I like the model with the aperture very much. It’s a handsome watch from the photos. And at a very reasonable price point. I have a Raymond Weil that I bought in 1984 and is still today a handsome and unique addition to my collection.
great watch!Raymond Weil…Maestro Blues, i can’t believe my eyes…anybody know the price?
A very unique looking and styled watch. The door bility is very important to watch like this which means how long does it last invisibility of the unique styling that it possesses.
The steel watch is absolutely stunning. I own a Freelancer and was wondering when the watch would be available in the UK. Thanks Mark
What is a ” genuine blue alligator-style calf strap ” ?
Which bit is ” genuine ” ???
Genuine -> calf strap
Stunning, well executed, great Dial Detail and synergy of Design, the Blue, possibly the best in an evolution from the original Submariner Lapis to the IWC’s of the early millennia and Le Petite Prince. It is here, and with all due respect to Olivier Bernheim, who has passed the reigns to the next generation, since taking the Brands Distribution back over 10 years ago, Sales Management has been their weak link, from Concept, to Strategy to Marketing; in a Brand that has always had a strong connection with Design, Quality, Value and the Aspirational, they have seemingly always retreated to merchandising Solitary Designs, whether the audacious Nabucco Reveluzione, Parsifal, Freelancer, Tango, Noemia and Maestro among others. It is not a question of whether these 2-3 pieces will sell in, they will, selling out becomes more difficult as with the Management philosophy of the last 5 years these one or two pieces get lost in a sea of the miscellaneous in Case-line. To start, a reasonable Package should be created of 5 Executions, from the 3 Hand Calendar SS, to Plated, to the “Open Heart”, a Moonphase and a Chrono, minimally, which gives the Company and Sales Team the opportunity to create a fresh focus on their Display, the ‘Maestro Blues’ would be shipped complete with Material as a 5 Piece Collection, being given a pre-determined Focus position for Spring in the Retail Partners Case, these were basically all sub-$300 Timepieces, with “alligator-style”, the assumption is Faux-Alligator, but regardless, the Collection now has minimally an $9,285.00 Retail Package @ Keystone, possibly separate Dating, a Display ‘Drop-in’ in Galvanic Blue to focus on that area of the pad, Ad formats and ideally, would not be saved for Basel, where normally 5 months of the business year are squandered, but would be offered in January when the Music Awards are in the air, as a “bag-opener” sold exclusively to Independent Partners and shipped in the first 35 days of the year. There is no simple formula, but historically for myriad reasons the Brand has failed to make an imprint, the opportunity is there to capitalize in this Trade Class and Digitally, not in the deteriorating environment that saps product. I would add to the dialog talking points Joe Cocker and Carpe Diem.
I like it. Looks classy.