Editor’s Note: Here’s our preview & Gut Reaction Review (Grr…) of the new Raymond Weil Freelancer Pop Bi-Compax Chronograph 7780. For our detailed hands-on reviews, please head to our dedicated reviews section here.
What Is It
The Raymond Weil Freelancer chronograph collection is enthused with new life courtesy the eclectic pairing of turquoise with dark colourways. Barring the larger sizing, the Raymond Weil Freelancer Pop 7780 should tick off a number of boxes for enthusiasts and collectors alike, particularly the on-point turquoise colorway and high-legibility. Adding a versatile touch, the new 43.5mm diameter x 13.7mm thick titanium Raymond Weil Freelancer Pop 7780 in limited numbers of 400-pieces features both an external black ceramic tachymeter bezel and an internal turquoise pulsometer rehaut.
Basic Specs of the Raymond Weil Freelancer Pop
Inside the Raymond Weil Freelancer Pop 7780 ticks the automatic winding RW5030. The RW5030 — based on the existing RW5000 which in turn is most likely derived from ETA 7750 or ETA 7753 — is a mechanical chronograph bi-compax automatic winding movement — also available in a tri-compax format — comprising 27 jewels and offering a decent 56-hour power reserve. The watch face shows the functions of central hours & minutes, small seconds at 9’o clock and a 30-minute counter at 3’o clock.
Where
In Sydney, through Avstev Group.
Why & When
The Raymond Weil Freelancer Pop 7780 was recently announced in early July ’23. It celebrates the world of live music, particularly the work of saxophonist Sandy Sax and pianist Victor Le Douarec.
Raymond Weil Freelancer Pop – The Turquoise Beauty
The Raymond Weil Freelancer Pop 7780 has a lot going for itself; personally, the charm lies in the excellent execution of myriad details that elevate the appeal. Most striking is the surprising three-dimensional-ness with the angled rehaut that contrasts nicely with the recessed sub-counters, and together these work brilliantly with the raised appliqué hour markers (that are nickel plated for day-time legibility and enhanced with white Super-Luminova® for the dark).
Next is the quirkiness, visible in the off-beat font of the date window and the contrasting use of turquoise with dark grey/black accents. As an important side note, kudos to the brand for not placing the date window aperture at the horrendous 4/4.30 position. Another quirky detail is the use of a volume unit meter-inspired peripheral ring track that replaces the traditional railroad track.
The black gradient dial and the blue tip of the second’s hand that matches that of the pulsometer text are further details that impress. I also appreciate that the turquoise has been used judicially and sparingly, only adorning parts of the dial, bezel and oscillating weight. Coming back to the legibility, it can be troubling with chronographs, but the brand has done an excellent job, in particular with the use of nickel-plated, barrel-shaped hands that are again enhanced with white Super-Luminova®.
If my assumption is correct, the watch like its counterpart tri-compax models such as the Freelancer Chronograph 7741 features a 52mm lug-to-lug width (I admit I haven’t handled or measured this watch in person).
This is where if I had to fault the watch I would find reasoning, purely based on my slim wrists of 16cm and the changing trend towards smaller sized watches. In terms of sizing, the Christopher Ward C1 Worldglow features similar specs, measuring 43.5mm x 11.55mm x 51.99mm. We have gone hands-on with it before, and in comparison, the 43.5mm x 13.7mm x 52mm of the Raymond Weil Freelancer Pop 7780 will sit quite large on my wrist.
At the end of the day, every watch wears different, especially when considering the lug design and length. For instance, the 43.5mm diameter Omega Aqua Terra Worldtimer features a whopping 15.5mm thick body, but due to largely short and curved lugs, only 50mm diameter; and that wears quite well on my 16cm wrist. The Tudor BBB 43 for instance is slightly smaller in diameter but again relatively thick at 14.5mm and features a ~52.5mm lug-to-lug spacing. This on my wrist sits quite obnoxiously. At the same time, the F.P. Journe Chronograph Monopoussoir Rattrapante is technically the largest out of all these, coming in at 44mm in diameter, but due to absence of lugs and the only 12.1mm thickness and less than 50mm lug-to-lug spacing, it sits rather nicely on my wrist.
My interactions with other watch enthusiasts have informed me that the lugs of the Raymond Weil Freelancer Pop 7780 are slightly tapered, making this wear like a smaller 42mm diameter watch.
Simply put, while I personally wouldn’t mind Raymond Weil going towards slightly smaller diameter watches, perhaps around the 40mm diameter chronograph mark, the new Raymond Weil Freelancer Pop 7780 is a great design for anyone with large wrists or those who prefer larger watches.
Overall, the Raymond Weil Freelancer Pop 7780 features a very well-balanced design, a lightweight titanium body with 100m water-resistance, and with a very reasonable price tag of 6’995 AUD and only 400-units globally, should be a sell-out success for the brand.
To find out more about the new Raymond Weil Freelancer and other RW watches, please head to their website here. All images unless otherwise stated are courtesy are © 2023 RAYMOND WEIL GENÈVE.
