2024 is shaping up to be an exciting year for Raymond Weil, an independent watchmaker from Geneva. It made its official Watches & Wonders debut and expanded on its successful GPHG award-winning Millesime collection, released just last year. Raymond Weil is already priming as a new flagship model. Eleven variations were added to the lineup in total. The folks at RW were kind enough to loan me the 39.5mm British racing green dial Millesime Small Seconds ref. 2930-ST-52001, and I have some thoughts on its overall design. (If you aren’t familiar with the collection, we covered the Millesime Small Seconds in full detail.)
To summarize what’s new for 2024, Raymond Weil announced that it is adding two new dial colors to the 39.5mm model in September: dusty denim blue and British racing green, the latter hue associated with motorsports since the early 1900s. Previously, the watch was only available with a silver or anthracite dial, so I understand the hype. It also appears that the green dial is the first Small Seconds model to sport a metal bracelet instead of leather. This new expression of the model helps the Millesime cross over into a different category of casual dress watches that are a bit more laid back than previous options.
The Millesime Small Seconds is distinguished by a skillfully executed sector dial. I found that the delicately engraved crosshairs were a bit hard to see just by quickly glancing at the watch, but I appreciate the subtlety. What stood out to me the most and made the watch more legible was the complexity of the various textures of the dial. The center has an elegant, eye-catching sheen that contrasts nicely with the matte hour ring and, surrounding that, is a blink-and-you-might-miss-it snailed minute track. The painted Super-LumiNova hour markers and long, tapered hour and minute hands drive home the vintage aesthetic Raymond Weil was going for with the Millesime. My only complaint is the text inside the sub-dial. “Automatic” distinguishes the watch from the brand’s quartz offerings, but I find it out of place and crowded. The dial would have been much cleaner had that text been omitted, but it doesn’t make or break the collection for me.
I enjoyed wearing the Millesime, which has an approachable 39.5mm case and a relatively svelte profile of around 10.3mm. However, the 47mm lug-to-lug measurement is borderline too large for my smaller 5.75” wrist, as shown in the image below. Still, the lugs are perfectly proportioned to the case and would suit most wrists larger than six inches. Interestingly, Raymond Weil also announced three new 35mm women’s options for the Millesime Small Seconds for 2024 in silver, denim blue, and burgundy. Given the choice, I would choose the 35mm model over the one featured in this review. But, of course, it isn’t available with the nostalgic green dial — not yet, anyway.
The retro “glass-box” sapphire crystal sits slightly higher than the bezel without adding too much height to the case. It should still slide nicely under the cuff of a tight dress sleeve, given the thin profile of the watch. The bezel has a vertically brushed texture that reflects the light nicely as the wrist moves and high-polished bevels for a bit of contrast, while the middle case is in satin steel and features a pull-out crown that keeps the water resistance at 50m. The Millesime Small Seconds also sports a sapphire crystal caseback for a clear view of caliber RW4251 movement and the bespoke skeletonized “W” Raymond Weil rotor. Nothing else stood out to me regarding the movement’s outward appearance, but it is worth mentioning that it is based on the Sellita SW261-1 and has a convenient 38-hour power reserve.
The denim-blue model will only be available with a leather strap to match the dial, while the green model will come on a five-link stainless steel bracelet with a hidden “RW” butterfly clasp. The clasp is easy enough to open by pressing the twin triggers on either side of the bracelet. At the same time, the “RW” link overlaps to create a sense of continuity between both sides of the clasp, which means the bottom half of the bracelet must first click into place to accommodate the “RW” link. This design isn’t unique to Raymond Weil, but it took some getting used to all the same until I was more familiar with the watch.
Overall, reference 2930-ST-52001 has all the makings of a great all-rounder and should be a hit with its steel-on-steel finish and understated green dial. The Raymond Weil Millesime Small Seconds British Racing Green retails for $2,095 USD, a small premium compared to the denim blue, silver, and anthracite models sold on leather that each retail for $1,995 USD. Considering the level of craftsmanship on this watch, it offers collectors a lot of value while maintaining the perfect level of wearability for a 39.5mm dress watch in stainless steel. For more information, please visit the Raymond Weil website.
