Raymond Weil Watches Review – Attractive Styling and Good Build Quality

Raymond Weil Watches – Style, Beauty, Quality

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Raymond Weil watches - ladies MaestroWhen you hear about Swiss watchmakers, you think of old-school companies that have been around for more than a century, creating timeless works of art with techniques handed down from generation to generation.  So it may come as a surprise to discover that Raymond Weil watches, while Swiss-made, actually haven’t been around all that long.

The company was founded in 1976, at a time when creating a luxury brand of watch was perhaps the world’s worst idea.  At that time, Japanese-made quartz watches were taking over the world, and the entire Swiss watchmaking industry was concerned that they might soon go out of business.

That’s the environment in which Raymond Weil watches came to the market, and they defied the then-current trends by creating well-crafted, attractive luxury timepieces.  They’ve managed to thrive, and today they offer a diverse line of wristwatches for both men and women that offer good styling, great quality and prices that aren’t excessive, at least by the standards of the luxury watch industry.

Read on for the full Raymond Weil watches review.


Build Quality
Movements
Innovation
Styling and Features
Care and Maintenance
Warranty
Prices
Where to Buy
Summary

Raymond Weil Watches Build Quality

The build quality is quite good; they use quality materials for their cases including stainless steel, gold, titanium and a gold/steel alloy.  Water resistance varies by model, but for some models are rated at 200 meters, which is useful for just about anyone.  They use sapphire crystal on their watch faces, which is resistant to scratching, and they use Swiss-made movements.   These are solid timepieces that should last for decades with proper care.

Movements

The company uses a mixture of Swiss-made automatic mechanical movements and highly accurate quartz electronic movements in their watches.  Most of the quartz models are on the lower end of the price range; like many watchmakers, the company enjoys showing off their mechanical design prowess on their higher end models.

Innovation

There’s not a whole lot of technical innovation to be found, though they do offer some interesting styling and a number of models that feature complications, such as the day, the date, and phases of the moon.  You’ll find some chronograph models, too.

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Styling and Features

Raymond Weil watches - men's NabuccoWe would describe the styling as modern traditional. While they make a number of models that wouldn’t look out of place on an episode of Mad Men, they have updated a number of them to look a bit more modern.

You’ll certainly find lots of gold and even diamonds in their styling, and they offer a number of sports models, too.  You’re not going to find odd-shaped faces, bright colors or anything truly unusual in their product line; that’s not really what they’re after.

The company makes an elegant, stylish wristwatch that will look great for business or formal wear.  Many of their models, especially at the higher price points, are limited editions, with just a few hundred made of each.  That ensures that you’re unlikely to run into someone else with the same model that you have.

Care and Maintenance

Raymond Weil watches are precision mechanical instruments that will require occasional maintenance.  The company recommends returning the watch to them every three years for service.  This will involve disassembly, replacement of worn parts, cleaning, lubrication, reassembly and testing for both water resistance and accuracy in timekeeping.

They also recommend that you have your watch examined every two years to ensure that the watertight seal is working correctly.  Quartz models will need to have the battery replaced every three years or so.

You’ll want to store your watch in a cool, dry place, and if you have Raymond Weil watches with a mechanical movement, you should store it in a watch winder to keep it working correctly.  You should keep models with leather straps away from water and sports models that have been in or near salt water should be rinsed carefully with tap water afterwards.

With proper care, you should find that watch will last many years.

Raymond Weil Watches Warranty

As with many luxury timepieces, the waranty runs for two years from the date of purchase against defects in materials and workmanship.  These timepieces are carefully tested at the factory before shipping, so defects should be quite rare.

Two years is the average warranty as luxury watches go, and even companies such as Rolex offer the same length of time.

Prices

Raymond Weil watches - women's Noemia stainlessYou’ll find that prices range from reasonable to moderately expensive, as luxury timepieces go.  We’ve seen models for less than $700, and nothing offered for sale that was more than $15,000.

The company has many models in the $1000-$5000 range, and the higher priced models are either limited editions or models with lots of gold and diamonds.

There’s not yet a lot of collector interest; that will probably come in time, as their styling is interesting and their build quality is good.  For now, we can’t suggest that you buy one as an investment, but it’s quite possible that the timepiece you buy today could be worth more money down the road.

Where to Buy

You can find the brand for sale at a number of authorized dealers, including high end department stores and larger, upscale jewelry stores.  As the company’s product line consists of nearly 150 different models, it’s unlikely that you’re going to find any single retailer that offers everything the company makes, so you may have to shop around a bit, especially if you’re looking for a limited edition item.

A few online retailers offer discounted models; you should keep your eyes out for them as you can save a lot of money.

Raymond Weil Watches Summary

For a newcomer to the luxury wristwatch game, we’ve found that Raymond Weil watches are quite stylish, well-made, and fully capable of standing alongside other well-known brands as Tissot or Hublot.

They offer a nice selection of materials and styles, they have lots of models, and they’ve got plenty of bling, for those who like diamonds and gold.  If you want a quality luxury Swiss watch and don’t want to wear the same brands that everyone else is wearing, you’ll like Raymond Weil watches.

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