Fiercely independent, RAYMOND WEIL has been forging its own path in the Swiss watch industry for nearly half a century, creating watches that epitomize traditional craft while embracing innovative techniques and a love of music and art — elements that resonate across the line, no matter what form that art takes. With the Freelancer Diver, RAYMOND WEIL took inspiration not from the depths of the ocean, but rather those that dance across the surface of the sea on a Wing Foil.
Wing foil is a young sport, spawned from the traditions of windsurfing, kitesurfing, and surfing. Though at first glance wing foil may resemble windsurfing, it’s an entirely different beast. A hydrofoil fin lifts the board off the water and produces a low friction platform that, when combined with a semi-rigid, inflatable wing, allows the rider to reach speeds in excess of 25 knots and fly up into the sky flipping and spinning over the waves. And if there’s one wingfoiler who knows a thing or two about going fast — and going big — it’s Titouan Galea.
In launching the Freelancer Diver, RAYMOND WEIL partnered with three-time wing foil world champion Titouan Galea. The New Caledonian has been wing foiling since he was nine years old and has brought his passion for the exhilarating sport to the design and inspiration of RAYMOND WEIL’s signature dive watch.
It all started in 1976, in the middle of a watch crisis, when a visionary watchmaker named Raymond Weil, driven by his passion and independent spirit, decided to found his own brand in order to offer more creative and affordable watches. Given the brand’s history of going against the grain, it’s no surprise that it would opt to take inspiration from the surface of the sea while so many others are focused on the deepest depths.
RAYMOND WEIL is offering the Freelancer Diver in two case options, stainless steel and two-tone, along with gradient black and blue dial options. Coming in at 42.5mm in diameter, the case of the Freelancer Diver is slim enough at just 11.7mm to be worn on every adventure. Given that this watch was designed with Titouan Galea in mind, you get 300m of water resistance — plenty for any occasion.
The dial on the freelancer dial is classic and timeless, with applied indices and a matching handset, executed in either silver or gilt tones depending on whether you opt for stainless steel or two-tone. The hands and indices are all filled with ample amounts of Super-LumiNova for nighttime visibility. A closer look reveals a gradient dial that transitions from darker hues at 6 o’clock to lighter hues above. The shape of the gradient is echoed beneath in the date window that takes the form of a waterdrop.
With this newest iteration of the Freelancer Diver, RAYMOND WEIL has revisited every aspect of the watch, including its unidirectional bezel. With a clean and open layout, the bezel is easy to read at a glance, even in low light, with a pip at 12 o’clock filled with Super-LumiNova. Rounding out the details are a signed screw-down crown with the RW monogram and a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides.
Beating away beneath the stainless steel caseback emblazoned with a waterscape and bird in flight — the perfect symbol for freedom and independence — is the Calibre RW4200 movement. This automatic movement houses 26 jewels and a 38-hour power reserve and is the ideal companion for a watch built to be a robust and reliable companion on all your adventures.
The full steel version of the Freelancer Diver is available on your choice of a five-link stainless-steel bracelet or a perforated rubber strap. The two-tone model, however, is offered exclusively with a two-tone five-link bracelet. The RAYMOND WEIL Freelancer Diver starts at $2,925 USD (including VAT). To learn more about RAYMOND WEIL and the Freelancer Diver, please visit the brand’s website.
