HANDS-ON: Take the plunge with the Raymond Weil Freelancer Diver

Felix Scholz

Raymond Weil’s Freelancer is the sort of watch that’s an essential in any brand’s collection — a no fuss, utilitarian diver that’s ready for duty in all manners of social and sartorial settings, but still tough enough to handle the vicissitudes of a life well lived.

While this Freelancer hides no huge surprises in terms of its specs – it’s 42.5mm across, 11.8mm high, powered by proven automatic movement, rated to 300m and equipped with a tough ceramic bezel – Raymond Weil has put the essential pieces together with a decent lashing of design panache.

The hands and applied indices have slightly curved flanks — a subtle touch, but one that gives the Freelancer a more modern vibe, especially when paired with the silver starburst dial. The date has been given a similarly modern feel. The large, triple date aperture is a polarising feature, but there’s no doubt that it’s a feature, and the printed black border with rounded corners certainly highlights this fact.

The details are nice, but where the watch excels is as a complete package — the five link bracelet with polished centre links is a nice, versatile option, and together with the uncommon combination (for a dive watch) of silver dial and blue bezel, it means that this Freelancer veers more towards the dressy side of the pool.

The watch is comfortable on the wrist; a strong, sturdy and stylish option and a good choice for a do anything daily wearer.

Raymond Weil Freelancer Diver Automatic Australian pricing

Raymond Weil Freelancer Diver Automatic, on steel, $2999

Images by Jason Reekie.