Affordable Watches: Three Raymond Weil Timepieces Under S$5K

Melissa Kong 19 May 2016

These Raymond Weil tickers won’t give your wallet a heart attack.

There are watches, and then there are serious watches. Usually, you can tell how serious the watch is by the number of zeros in the price tag. No, we’re kidding. But there are some good mechanical watches out there that aren’t going to cost you an arm and a leg. Here are three wallet-friendly options from Raymond Weil to check out:

MAESTRO OPEN HEART Ref. 2827-STC-00659 - S$2,300

Perhaps it’s the clous de Paris guilloche on the dial that lends this timepiece a certain refinement. In any case, this watch is a looker. And we don’t just mean that because you can see right through to the balance wheel at 12 o’clock. The black Roman numerals sit elegantly on a silver dial encased with an antiglare sapphire crystal, while calf leather straps with an alligator motif finish the look. Inside, the automatic movement comes in at a height of 4.6mm with a decent power reserve of 38 hours. It’s also water resistant up to 50m.

FREELANCER Ref. 2710 PC5 20011 - $3,410

You can’t fault the debonair charms of this black lacquer and rose gold combination, especially when there’s a hint of the movement in the 12 o’clock window. A true gentleman’s watch, this understated timepiece comes with rose gold plated indexes, tonneau-shaped hands and a black calf leather strap. The 42mm case also comes with a dual-sided antiglare sapphire crystal and has a water resistance of up to 50m.

FREELANCER SKELETON Ref. 2715-BKC-2002 - $4,030

Every iconic collection needs a skeleton model and that’s exactly what Raymond Weil has added to its Freelancer range, marking four decades in the watchmaking industry. The 42.5mm ticker is jet black with rose gold plated indexes and hands within a PVD-coated steel case. The star of the show, naturally, is the open dial centre that affords a detailed look at the Swiss-made mechanical movement. Featuring a power reserve of 38 hours, the watch is also water resistant up to 100m.