Millesime ushers in a new era for the family-owned brand.

In 2023, when Stefan Kudoke and Anders Modig stood on the stage of Geneva’s Thèâtre du Léman, in front of the great and the good of the Swiss watch industry, and announced that the Raymond Weil Millesime Automatic Small Seconds was the winner of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) “Challenge” prize — a category reserved for watches priced below CHF 2,000 — the reaction was one of surprise, both in the room and online. Raymond Weil’s dressy neo-vintage number beat buzzy newcomers like Kurono Tokyo and Studio Underd0g, as well as established brands like Seiko and Nomos Glashütte who tend to dominate the conversation around “accessible” timepieces. But really, we shouldn’t have been so surprised. As Raymond Weil CEO Elie Bernheim explained shortly after his GPHG win, “Our aim is to offer refined timepieces at an accessible price. To get this prize in the ‘Challenge’ category means a lot because it’s where we have legitimacy and market share.”

Really though, we should have seen this coming. Raymond Weil has been there all along. Since 1976, Raymond Weil has focused on making stylish, good quality watches at a price which isn’t prohibitive. In decades past, models like the Parsifal and Toccata (and more recently the Freelancer) have seen critical and commercial success, blending the style of the times with versatility, resulting in watches that have a lot to offer. The Millesime is the latest chapter in this long story.

Refined Simplicity

Given that it has helped Raymond Weil to secure a pivotal first GPHG win, we should discuss the Millesime in more detail. First of all, this is a watch that does everything right. Millesime, a French word more often seen in the world of wine-making, literally translates to “Vintage” in English, so it’s quite clear that the watch isn’t trying to hide what it is or what its inspirations are. Elie Bernheim says of the collection’s genesis, “I wanted to have something that would be full of watchmaking know-how, with all the traditional codes, and a touch of modernity.” The Millesime certainly delivers. The 39.5mm wide by 10.25mm tall steel case is a simple round shape, polished, but with a vertically brushed bezel, straight, drilled lugs and a short but grippy crown; the case is quite minimalistic and very much in keeping with its vintage inspiration. It’s also — and this is important — perfectly sized.

This is not just in case width, though 39mm has emerged as the new Goldilocks width for a historically leaning watch these days, but also for the fairly slender height and wearable lug-to-lug length. In short, it walks perfectly between the perhaps too-dainty 1:1 sizing for historical re- creations and the crop of too-large “modern watches with a vintage twist.” By sizing where it did, Raymond Weil has hit the nail on the head in terms of giving (most) people what they want when it comes to a contemporary take on vintage style in this day and age. Of course, the case is only one element of the Millesime, but just as it is with vintage watches — the dial is where the money is.

The exceptionally pleasing sector dial is a real standout. There’s a range of textures at play: a brushed center, smooth hour track and snailed minute track. The printed dial details are in keeping with the mid-century “scientific” dials that this watch draws inspiration from, and a quite large, lume-filled blued dagger handset completes the layout. Both the hands and the dial are slightly curved, which is a nice touch. The GPHG-winning model was a small seconds with a silver dial, but we suspect the salmon and blue dial models with central seconds will find many friends, too, especially under the glassbox sapphire crystal. The straps are solid and exactly what you want on this sort of design: supple calf in muted, vintage tones with contrasting stitching.

The movement for the small seconds model is the automatic RW4251, which has some nice details on the rotor but is essentially the same industry standard Sellita that everyone uses at this price point. This brings us to the price. At CHF 1,950, there’s no arguing that it’s well priced. While we have no real insight into how this watch was made, we suspect that when the Raymond Weil design team came up with the Millesime, the design rationale was “give the people what they want.” This watch has everything you want, and nothing you don’t — the brand has even left off the date window.

The collection looks set to get even better in a few months’ time when the models announced at Watches and Wonders hit the market later this year: tri-compax chronographs in a 39.5mm case; a charming moonphase model in 39.5mm and 35mm dials; and new time-only models in the larger case and the new 35mm case. These new models include a very chic denim blue option. There are also five-link bracelets for those who want something a little sportier. Raymond Weil’s press materials are pitching the new 35mm case firmly at women; there are even versions with diamond-set lugs. And while there are certainly women out there who will appreciate the smaller size offering, I think Raymond Weil might be surprised how popular this more traditional dressy size will be among men.

The Bernheim Family

There’s no doubt that the Millesime is a strong proposition that will be a commercial success for Raymond Weil, but it’s not the whole story. There’s a secret sauce behind the design, and that’s Raymond Weil’s stability as a family-run business. Elie Bernheim is the third generation in this family business, succeeding his father, Olivier Bernheim, in 2014. This continuity in leadership and strategic direction means that the brand has, since day one, stayed true to its mission. In fact, another member of the family, Jeremie Bernheim, who serves as the chief marketing officer, makes it clear that accessibility is central to the brand, “We’ve existed now for nearly 50 years, and we’ve always delivered exceptional watchmaking at an affordable price, and that remains at our core, offering a perfect combination of Swiss-made quality and a great price.”

Of course, it hasn’t always been champagne and caviar for the brand — the vicissitudes of the market and taste, not to mention the rise of so-called microbrands, is felt particularly sharply at Raymond Weil’s chosen price point. On the other side of this coin, the fact that Raymond Weil is independent and family-owned means it can be quite responsive across all aspects of its business, and over the years, the brand’s focus has become more pointed. Its ability to proactively create the Millesime, as well as the critical success it has enjoyed, is proof of the strength of the Raymond Weil family.

In many ways, you could argue that Raymond Weil has been a victim of its own success. By staying in its lane, and quietly delivering its own brand of well-priced quality, the brand has often avoided the magpie-like tendencies of watch cognoscenti, who are easily distracted by the latest, shiniest thing. Thankfully, to borrow a phrase coined in 1996 by Bill Gates, “Content is King.” Swiss watches — especially those made within the well-priced waters that Raymond Weil swim in — are abundant. There’s a fresh new flavor every month, but they’re destined to fall out of favor as fast as they find it. The watches of Raymond Weil, on the other hand, endure. The brand’s experience, infrastructure and longevity allow it to produce designs that are within reach of many people and tailored towards their tastes. Millesime is the latest example of this winning synergy of design, quality and price, and we suspect that last year’s GPHG win is just the beginning for the charming neo- vintage collection.