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Raymond Weil Freelancer 42mm Automatic Mens Watch
Ref. 2780-ST-52001
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Stepping up in the same dial colour
The Freelancer line has always been Raymond Weil's more mechanically expressive side, and this green-dialled variant makes that argument most clearly. The RW1212 movement powering it was developed with Sellita but is distinctly Raymond Weil's own — the calibre number itself references the postal code of the brand's Grand-Lancy headquarters, a small detail that signals how personally the company regards it. More telling is how the movement was engineered: the open aperture at six o'clock was not cut into an existing design as an afterthought but conceived from the outset so that the balance wheel sits perfectly centred above it, framed by a two-spoke bridge that reads closer to a tourbillon cage than a standard open-heart window. At 10.6mm thick, the case is genuinely slim for a 42mm watch with this kind of mechanical architecture, and it will slip under a shirt cuff without forcing the issue. The dial combines a Clous de Paris guilloché centre with a smooth outer chapter ring, giving the green surface some textural contrast rather than relying on colour alone to hold interest. The jubilee-style bracelet carries alternating brushed and polished links, and the clasp opens on dual push-button releases — the kind of mechanism that makes daily removal feel considered rather than fiddly. The exhibition caseback puts the decorated rotor on view, and the screw-down crown handles the water resistance. These two details together make the watch equally honest from the rear and the front, which is not always a given when the dial is already doing this much work.
- Reference
- 2780-ST-52001
- Brand
- Raymond Weil
- Collection
- Freelancer
- Case size
- 42mm
- Case thickness
- 10.6mm
- Lug width
- 22mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Green
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- RW1212
- Functions
- Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Ex-display
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 50.5mm
- Power reserve
- 38 hours
Learn more about Raymond Weil
Raymond Weil founded his company in Geneva in 1976, which was close to the worst possible moment: Swiss mechanical watchmaking was being dismantled by quartz, and established houses were closing. Starting one from nothing took a particular kind of nerve.
The company survived and stayed independent, which is rarer than it sounds — most Swiss names of comparable size were absorbed into Swatch Group, Richemont or LVMH. Raymond Weil is still owned and run by the founding family, with his grandson Elie Bernheim as chief executive.
Music runs through the brand deliberately rather than decoratively. The collections are named for it — Maestro, Toccata, Tango, Freelancer — and the company has built long partnerships with orchestras, conservatoires and record labels.
The watches sit where Swiss watchmaking is still attainable: slim dress pieces, chronographs and skeletonised automatics, mostly on Sellita and ETA calibres, with the Millesime line taking a more vintage-minded direction in recent years.
- 1976
- Founded in Geneva at the height of the quartz crisis.
- 1983
- The Amadeus line begins the brand's association with music.
- 1996
- The Parsifal collection establishes its dress-watch identity.
- 2014
- Elie Bernheim, the founder's grandson, becomes CEO.
- 2022
- The Millesime line moves the range in a vintage direction.
Also in 5 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (2,953), Automatic Watches (1,324), Green Dial Watches (391), Skeleton Watches (210) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (100).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 38-hour reserve means winding it after a day off
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 2780-ST-52001 | T1374271101101 | C0434271104100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,695 | £1,695 | £1,690 |
| Case size | 42mm | 42mm | 42mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 38 hours | — | — |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 38 hours fully wound — so it will usually stop if you leave it off overnight.
What size strap does it take?
22mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 50.5mm, which suits wrists from roughly 17.5cm (7 inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths at £1,695, ex-display. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.
Is this available new?
Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as ex-display only, at £1,695 from Goldsmiths. Ex-display watches are unworn shop stock rather than second-hand — sold below the recommended retail price, and with the manufacturer’s guarantee intact.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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