ExclusiveRaymond Weil Drop The Pin On India With Their Latest Freelancer Limited Edition

Not quite unlike the colour of the Indian national cricket team, blue in various hues has been seen in multiple recent India-exclusive creations from Swiss watch brands. After Rado’s aqua-coloured Captain Cook and Carl F. Bucherer’s blue Manero Flyback, out now is Raymond Weil’s new Freelancer RW1212 India edition with a fresh, new shade of blue on the partially open-worked dial. A limited edition of only 99 pieces, this watch has been created exclusively for Ethos, in celebration of 20 years of Ethos Limited. The caseback is darkened, and features an outline of India’s map, but it still reveals parts of the calibre RW1212 beating within.

Blue On The Freelancer RW1212 India

First unveiled in 2017, the Freelancer RW1212 took Raymond Weil into new territory, as it was powered by their first in-house calibre, the RW1212. The automatic movement was partially seen on the dial—first released in black and silvery options. The distinctive sections on the dial presented concentric harmony. From outward to inward, there was a chapter ring for the minutes, on the periphery; a smooth track for the hour markers just within that; and finally a textured central portion, decorated with a clous de Paris pattern.

This format has been recreated in various dial colours since then, including a sublime green and a standard blue. And now, in a completely new shade is the Freelancer RW1212 India edition—in a blue that’s quite different from most blues you’d come across in watches today. Blue itself is so popular, but this shade on the Freelancer RW1212 India edition makes it particularly pleasing to look at. It is a few shades darker than ice blue—more like a sky blue, you could say.

A Peek Inside The In-House Calibre Of The Freelancer RW1212 India

Breaking the visual of the concentric circles seen on the fresh, blue dial of the Freelancer RW1212 India edition is the open-worked section at six o’clock, which reveals the balance wheel—the beating heart of the watch. It’s very interestingly held in place by a bridge, with exposed rivets where it’s attached to the blue dial. While there have been fully skeletonised dials showcasing the RW1212 movement, this ‘open heart’ template has proven to be quite a hit and a bestseller for the brand. Offering a power reserve of 38 hours, the automatic movement of the Freelancer RW1212 India edition can also be seen through the transparent caseback, even though it is not a clear back. Decorations seen through the caseback include perlage and côtes de Genève—the latter mainly seen on the winding rotor.

A Pin Is Dropped On The Freelancer RW1212 India

Darkened for a smoky effect, and also to enhance the illustration, the caseback has an outline map of India, in pale blue, with the only element in the map being the course of the River Ganges—in a brighter blue.

Surrounding this, the steel frame has standard information, such as the 100m water resistance of the 42mm steel case, but it also carries the words ‘20th anniversary’, highlighting this milestone of Ethos Limited. Along with that, you’ll also see the limited edition number. Only 99 pieces of this watch have been created, and all of them will be available only through Ethos, being an India-exclusive piece.

From outward to inward, there is a chapter ring for the minutes, on the periphery; a smooth track for the hour markers just within that; and finally a textured central portion, decorated with a clous de Paris pattern

A very fine addition to the series of blue India-exclusives being released for Ethos, this gorgeous, new sky blue definitely makes The Raymond Weil Freelancer RW1212 India edition an instant hit

A very fine addition to the series of blue India-exclusives being released for Ethos, this gorgeous, new sky blue—paired well with a five-link steel bracelet—definitely makes The Raymond Weil Freelancer RW1212 India edition an instant hit.