Raymond Weil Freelancer GMT Worldtimer 2765 Watch Review
The Raymond Weil Freelancer GMT Worldtimer 2765 democratises a complication typically the preserve of Haute Horlogerie’s old guard. As Mark McArthur-Christie explains in his own incomparable style, this model may be accessible but it is rich with details and brims with refinement.
Finding interesting watches that won’t break the bank
As I write this, you could nip down to your local Argos and pick up a Casio F-91W for a penny under £10. In other words, for the price of a cup of coffee and a cake in my local (Cotswold prices are like London prices but without the salary weighting), you could have a design classic on your wrist. At the other end of the scale sit wonderful watches like Patek Philippe’s Grandmaster Chime in steel. One of these will set you back around CHF 31 million and it’s the watchmaking equivalent of the Space Shuttle, even if it does sound as though it was named after a slightly camp rapper.
Isn’t this the great thing about watches? Wherever your wallet is comfortable between the humble Casio and the costs-the-same-as-Hampshire Patek you’ll find something you love. Yes, you can spend millions but no matter how much you have you can find interesting, different and engaging watches.
Raymond Weil Freelancer GMT Worldtimer 2765 – a proper automatic world timer
Raymond Weil’s new Freelancer GMT Worldtimer is a fine example. It’s a proper automatic world timer with a properly-finished movement for £2,195. Given the firm already sells a GMT for £1,995, the new Worldtimer looks good value.
You have a choice of two versions, both mechanically identical but very different in appearance.
There’s a stealth black dial in a stealth black DLC case with a stealth black strap that would be happy as a cockpit instrument on Disaster Area’s stuntship. To quote Douglas Adams, it’s “…very clean, very sleek, and completely black.” Raymond Weil prefers to say it has “…an understated character while appearing eminently sophisticated.” Then there’s a green-dialled option in a stainless case with a bronze bezel and crowns. Visually it’s a lot more interesting and has a character that, despite the whole bronze thing, seems more traditional than its black counterpart.
Raymond Weil Freelancer GMT Worldtimer 2765 – gradient dials
Calling the dials just ‘black’ and ‘green’ isn’t quite right, though. Both are carefully graduated from light to dark. Look at the dial centres and the world time bezel ring. You can see the transition from day to night that you need on a worldtimer. Neat, isn’t it?
Raymond Weil Freelancer GMT Worldtimer 2765 – 24 time zones
There’s a lot of information to get on the dial of a functional watch like this. For a start, there’s all the usual hours, minutes and seconds, then you need a place for the date where it won’t jar with everything else that’s going on. Next, you’ll have to find somewhere for the names of the 24 cities to reside, each place located in a different time zone. Finally, there are all the decisions about hand shapes, dial markers and batons, logos and names. It’s easy to take dial design for granted, but just try sketching a simple three-hander and see how difficult it is to come up with something that’s as clear, coherent and attractive to look at as this new Raymond Weil model.
Both models are just as easy to read at night. The hands and indexes are coated with Super-LumiNova, and glow either blue or green depending on their function.
Raymond Weil Freelancer GMT Worldtimer 2765 – user-friendly world timers
Raymond Weil has pulled a neat trick with these two new world timers – they’re designed to work in the real world. You don’t actually have to go through all the rigmarole of unscrewing the crown that moves the internal timezone bezel if you want to tell the time somewhere else; at least, assuming you only need one other timezone. You can just use the GMT hand that’ll track your second timezone constantly.
If you do need to know the time in, say, three time zones at once, it’s not that much effort. Unscrew the crown at 4 o’clock, thoughtfully embossed with a little world diagram, and turn the internal bezel until your local city is adjacent to the current hour. Then just read off the time wherever else you need for each of the remaining 23 time zones. Yes, you could do it just as quickly by nipping onto worldtimebuddy.com, but where’s the enjoyment and involvement in that? You might as well buy an electric car while you’re at it.
Raymond Weil Freelancer GMT Worldtimer 2765 – Calibre RW3230
Motive power comes from Raymond Weil’s Calibre RW3230 movement. This doesn’t need a paternity test to trace its roots to the Sellita SW330-2 and is none the worse for it. As we’ve often pointed out, in-house movements are truly lovely things but often come with Lamborghini-level servicing costs. There’s a lot to be said for a movement that’s easily serviced and where spares are unlikely to be a problem. That said, this isn’t a bargain basement movement; the firm hasn’t skimped on finishing on an already elaboré grade engine. There’s perlage on the bridges, snailing on the barrel cover and you’ll find Geneva striping almost everywhere else. The standard of decoration is high enough to get you checking that price tag again to make sure you didn’t misread it. And everything’s visible through the display caseback.
That caseback is worth a second look too. Rather than engraving the various details like water resistance (100m, since you asked thanks to the dual screw-down crowns), materials and serial numbers on the outer edge, the firm has done so on an angled ledge just under the display back’s sapphire glass. It adds depth as well as visual interest to what could have been a plain caseback edge.
There’s another neat touch in the way the strap has been made to fit the curve of the caseback, rather than simply left with a straight edge. Raymond Weil has given a lot of thought to the strap buckle too, with a signed, folded stainless clasp.
Raymond Weil Freelancer GMT Worldtimer 2765 – well worth a look
Even today with cheap air travel (even if the emphasis is more on the ‘cheap’ than the ‘travel’) there’s still a romance about a world timer. If you’re someone who would rather buy a ticket than the whole ‘plane, one of these new Raymond Weil watches would be well worth a look.
Further reading
Technical specifications
- Model: Raymond Weil Freelancer GMT Worldtimer 2765
- Reference: 2765-SBC-52001 (steel with bronze bezel and crown) / 2765-BKC-20001 (steel with black DLC)
- Case: diameter 40.5 mm, height 9.7 mm, water resistance 10ATM (100m), sapphire crystal to the front, exhibition case back.
- Functions: hours, minutes, centre seconds, date, GMT, world timer
- Movement: RW3230, self-winding movement, 47 jewels, power reserve 40-44 hours
- Strap: colour co-ordinating calf leather with stainless steel folding clasp with double push-security system
- Price: £2,195 (RRP as of 3.12.2022)