Browsing Raymond Weil’s watch collections, from the earliest days up to the present, is a little like an eclectic musical history lesson covering everything from Mozart to David Bowie, Wagner to AC/DC. Music has been a source of inspiration for the watchmaker since the brand was founded in 1976. Not only does music resonate through the names of its watches – Fidelio, Toccata, Maestro, Nabucco, Don Giovanni, Tango, etc. – it also guides the brand’s partnerships with famous artists, instrument makers such as guitar maker Gibson, concert halls and international events such as the BRIT Awards. It drove the passion of company founder Raymond Weil, and continues to be an impetus for the third generation of the family, which holds the reins of the brand today and includes some talented musicians.
While the Amadeus, Traviata, Othello and Don Giovanni collections are no longer in production, the collection named after Richard Wagner’s epic opera cycle continues to go from strength to strength. Initially launched in the 1990s, Parsifal pioneered Raymond Weil’s design signature of two-tone cases combining steel and gold, which is still a significant feature of the current collection. This range of men’s and women’s watches remains a mainstay of the brand and, with its classic elegance and accessible luxury pricing, embodies its watchmaking ethos. In 2010, for the 20th anniversary of the collection, it was modernised and expanded with automatic 3-handed models with date (39 mm) and chronograph (41.4 mm) for men, and quartz 2-handers with date (28 mm) for women. Very little has changed since, which is why the new 2018 Parsifal watches just announced were keenly anticipated. There are seven women’s models and five for men, all powered by quartz movements.
The women’s versions have grown in volume, with a new diameter of 30 mm. Available in a choice of steel or two-tone steel and yellow gold PVD, the round cases are topped with the gadrooned bezel (there are now eight gadroons, compared with six on the 2010 models) that is a signature of the collection. The crown decorated with its blue lacquered dome is fitted with a crown guard with two visible screws, a feature we saw on the models issued prior to 2010, and which are back this year as a highly contemporary detail. Four of the models have a white mother-of-pearl dial punctuated with eight diamond indices, plus Roman numerals at 12, 6 and 9 o’clock (the 3 o’clock position is taken by the date window).
The other three versions are more classical, with a white dial and twelve Roman numerals. Another design element of the Parsifal collection is the sophisticated bracelet; its cross-shaped links have slightly more rounded and softened edges that complement the round case perfectly. Two diamond-set versions, in steel or two-tone cases, feature 48 diamonds on the gadroons. A quartz movement drives the hour, minute and date functions.
Prices of women’s watches, in Swiss francs:
- Steel with white dial: 1,295
- Two-tone with white dial: 1,495
- Steel with mother-of-pearl dial: 1,495
- Two-tone with mother-of-pearl dial: 1,595
- Diamond-set steel, mother-of-pearl dial: 1,895
- Two-tone diamond with mother-of-pearl dial: 1,995
The five new Parsifal 2018 models for men have a diameter of 41 mm and are all 3-handed with a date at 3 o’clock. The two two-tone versions can be differentiated by the colour of the twelve Roman numerals and the hands, which are either black or PVD gold on steel. The three steel versions are available with a choice of dials in white, or the more adventurous black or blue. They share with the women’s models the same screw-down crown guard, the screwed caseback, a 50-metre depth rating and a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides.
Prices of men’s watches, in Swiss francs:
- Steel: 1,395
- Two-tone: 1,595
In 1994, the “Precision Movement” advertising campaign for the Parsifal, which featured renowned dancers performing an aerial ballet, did not go unnoticed by either the public or by communication professionals in Europe and the United States, where it won a number of awards. Raymond Weil has announced a new take on this campaign for the end of the year. Watch this space...
