Following ‘The Fifty’ unveiled earlier this year, Raymond Weil continues its 50th anniversary celebrations with a new limited-edition Millésime bi-compax chronograph!
Raymond Weil is celebrating a major milestone this year, marking 50 years as an independent, family-owned watchmaking company. With only a small number of independent, family-owned watchmakers remaining in the industry, this is certainly an exceptional achievement. Now operating under its third generation, Raymond Weil has come a long way under the guidance of CEO Elie Bernheim.
The WatchAdvice team was fortunate enough to sit down with Bernheim at a private dinner, where we discussed all things Raymond Weil and how important the new direction the brand is taking has been to its recent success. More on this later, so stay tuned for our exclusive article!
One of the pillars of this new direction is the Millésime collection. For those who may not know, Raymond Weil introduced the Millésime collection in 2023 and, with its introduction, won the prestigious Challenge Watch Prize at the 2023 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). The collection has only soared to new heights since then, with various editions of the Millésime being released, including the Tri-Compax Chronograph, which I personally own!
With 2026 marking a momentous occasion for Raymond Weil, the brand introduced a special 50-piece limited edition of the Millésime called “The Fifty”. Each of these models used one of 50 restored and hand-decorated Valjoux 23-6 movements dating from 1976, which were then housed inside a 37mm case with a white-gold bezel. It was to no one’s surprise that all 50 models quickly found buyers, with this special limited-edition series selling out shortly after its release.
The success of “The Fifty” ultimately led Raymond Weil to introduce another Millésime as a continuation of its 50th-anniversary celebrations, taking on the design cues of “The Fifty” but at a more accessible price point. With “The Fifty” proving so popular, Raymond Weil could have easily recreated the model in a different iteration. Instead, the Jubilee takes the underlying architecture and design language of “The Fifty” and translates it into a more accessible automatic bi-compax chronograph, limited to 500 pieces worldwide.
Neo-Vintage Styling Meets A Striking Blue Palette
Unlike the Millésime “The Fifty”, this Jubilee edition uses a completely stainless steel case, which measures 39mm in diameter and 12.9mm thick. This, as the brand has stated, gives the Millésime Jubilee a more contemporary architecture while still retaining the neo-vintage styling that is associated with the Millésime collection.
One of the design elements I love about the Millésime collection, and especially the chronograph models, is that vintage-inspired aesthetic. From the curved lugs to the vintage chronograph pushers, it carries a distinctly classical character that feels perfectly suited to the collection’s overall design language.
What gives this neo-vintage-inspired case added visual appeal is the variety of different finishes. Firstly, we get polished surfaces for the chronograph pushers and crown, which are accompanied by the surfaces of the lugs and the chamfered bezel edges. The sides of the case feature horizontal satin-brushed surfaces, which add a subtle contrast to the polished shine.
I personally like the flat bezel architecture too, which features a vertical satin-brushed surface. The flat bezel gives the sapphire glassbox crystal more prominence as well, allowing it to stand out as one of the defining vintage-inspired elements of the case design.
The Raymond Weil Millésime Jubilee features a light blue dial, which is nicely contrasted by two midnight-blue subdials, creating the traditional bi-compax layout. The 3 o’clock subdial houses the 30-minute chronograph counter, while the 9 o’clock counter features the running seconds. These subdials are also recessed, which is a nice detail that fits in with the overall architecture of the dial.
One of the defining elements of the dial is the “sector dial”, which is made up of four separate components. This is a signature detail of the Millésime collection, allowing Raymond Weil to introduce a variety of different textures and finishes. The silver-coloured ring houses the hour markers while also featuring an opaline-grained finish. The outer part of the dial features a tachymeter scale calibrated over 1,000 metres, adding another functional element while further reinforcing the vintage chronograph aesthetic.
The Automatic RW5030 Powers The Jubilee
Unlike the Millésime “The Fifty”, which housed the restored and hand-decorated Valjoux 23-6 movement, this Jubilee edition features Raymond Weil’s RW5030 self-winding mechanical chronograph movement, which gives the model its bi-compax chronograph architecture. The movement’s performance is dependable too, operating at 4Hz while delivering a healthy 62-hour power reserve.
Turn the watch over, and you are treated to a sapphire crystal caseback that gives a clear view of the RW5030 movement. Unlike The Fifty’s restored and hand-decorated historical calibre, the Jubilee uses the contemporary RW5030 as part of its more accessible approach. The open caseback still gives a clear view of the movement architecture, including the automatic winding rotor, balance, and portions of the chronograph mechanism, while also carrying the “LIMITED EDITION” designation and individual numbering out of 500 pieces.
Initial Thoughts
What I like about this latest Millésime Jubilee is that Raymond Weil hasn’t tried to simply recreate “The Fifty” at a lower price point. Rather, the brand has taken the architecture and overall aesthetic identity of the 50th-anniversary edition and created another piece to continue the celebrations. The move to an automatic chronograph movement and a larger production run also makes this anniversary concept accessible to a much broader audience.
It also fits in beautifully with the existing Millésime chronograph models, with the signature sector dial, bi-compax chronograph sub-counters, and tachymeter scale around the outside of the dial. All these elements come together beautifully to create a timepiece that feels distinctly Millésime, while still giving the Jubilee enough character to stand on its own.
“Six months later, Jubilee builds on the spirit and aesthetic identity introduced by The Fifty, but reinterprets them in a watch that returns to the positioning at the heart of RAYMOND WEIL since its creation. Designed to be more accessible, it offers a more accessible way to honour the Maison’s fiftieth anniversary, while retaining the horological substance, meticulous attention to detail and aesthetic depth that defined its predecessor.”
Elie Bernheim – CEO of Raymond Weil
Raymond Weil Millésime Jubilee
Reference & Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Reference | 7776-STC-65501 |
| Dimensions | 39mm case diameter x 12.9mm thickness |
| Case | Stainless steel with polished and satin-brushed surfaces |
| Dial | Light blue four-part dial with midnight-blue azuré-finished bi-compax subdials |
| Crystal | Sapphire glassbox with double-sided anti-reflective coating |
| Caseback | Sapphire crystal exhibition caseback |
| Movement | Automatic bi-compax chronograph Cal. RW5030 |
| Accuracy | 4Hz / 28,800vph |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, running seconds, central chronograph seconds, 30-minute chronograph counter |
| Water Resistance | 50m / 5bar |
| Strap/Bracelet | Midnight-blue calfskin leather strap with pin buckle |