Raymond Weil Adds New Green Dial To Caliber RW1212 Freelancer Lineup

Olive green is quickly becoming one of the watch industry’s hottest colors for 2020, and the latest brand to jump on board the trend is Raymond Weil with this update to its flagship Caliber RW1212 Freelancer. The slim and handsome 42mm stainless steel case of previous Freelancer models returns here, as do the dressy baton hands and applied indices. While the mix of sunburst and micro-tapisserie surfaces is not new to the line, the green color adds a more subdued and masculine energy to the arrangement. Of course, other than the green dial itself, the other main focal point is the exposed balance wheel at 6 o’clock, which plays against the green of the dial well with its gold tones. The new green dial model, like previous iterations, is powered by the Sellita based Caliber RW1212 automatic movement with 38 hours of power reserve. Raymond Weil offers this new addition to the Freelancer lineup on either a jubilee style bracelet, or a new matching olive green fabric strap with signed deployant clasp. The watch is available for pre-order online and through authorized dealers now at an MSRP of $1,995, with deliveries expected in April. Please visit the brand’s website for more information.

RJ Watches Files For Bankruptcy With Immediate Effect

Boutique watchmaker RJ, well known for its high priced and avant-garde timepiece lines drawing inspiration from everything from volcanoes to Spider-Man and beyond, announced this week without warning that the company has filed for bankruptcy effective immediately. The decision comes at the behest of primary company shareholder Alliance Investment Group SA, which has decided to pull funding from the atelier with no reason given. With an immediate bankruptcy, there was no opportunity for the company to seek out further investment or continue the business. All 33 employees of the company, including CEO Marco Tedeschi, have been dismissed. The aBlogtoWatch team offers our sympathies for the dismissed RJ team members, and we sincerely hope they continue their careers in the luxury watch industry.

Casio Adds Two New Slim Connected Models To Edifice Lineup

While the G-Shock may be the line to occupy the most enthusiast attention, the Casio Edifice series contains some of the brand’s handsomest and most versatile timepieces. The brand announced two additional models in the Edifice lineup this week, the thin Bluetooth-enabled EQB1000XD line. These new models feature a 45.6mm case in either brushed or ion plated black stainless steel, clocking in at only 8.9mm-thick with an angular, modern sports chronograph design. Like the cases, the dials of these two new models feel like solid modern sports chronograph designs, with textured black dial surfaces and accents in either bright red or an electric teal blue. The quartz EQB1000XD is anything but short on features, sporting solar charging, mobile device connectivity via Bluetooth, a dual time zone tracking function, 24 hour flyback chronograph, a daily alarm, perpetual calendar though 2099, day/date, and a 19 month battery life. Both new models come on oyster style bracelets and will be available online and through authorized dealers in March at an MSRP of $330 in stainless steel and $380 in ion coated black. Visit Casio’s website for further information.