Raymond Weil Freelancer Skeleton 2783 Watch Review

The Millesime collection has been a godsend for Raymond Weil. After nabbing itself a GPHG award with its debut appearance, the retro collection has expanded to encompass equally handsome chronographs and a solid number of colourways. It’s not hard to see why the watchmaker’s doubling down on it. And yet, that’s not all they’ve been doing.

You could argue that, despite being eclipsed by its younger, old-school sibling, the Freelancer is still very much Raymond Weil’s flagship. At the very least, it’s where they’ve consistently been doing more interesting things; the modern, frenetic, playful collection. And while most of the time I’d rather strap one of their new chronographs to my wrist, the latest Freelancer Skeleton has me almost converted.

Skeleton watches can be… divisive. I’m often not a huge fan of them, generally because they feel like they’re trying too hard to be cool, especially the ones that render everything in carbon fibre and cut away every conceivable part of the movement. I like to see a decent watch movement. The new Freelancer Skeleton – the Ref. 2783 to be precise – is a happy middle ground.

At 38mm across, it’s smaller than most similarly skeletonised watches. That alone makes it much more wearable and a feel a lot less like a haute horological try hard. Evidently smaller sizing is something Raymond Weil have taken to heart from the Millesime, and I’m here for it. It means that the overtly mechanical intensity on display is just that little bit less domineering.

The skeletonisation is tastefully done. The dial has been completely removed, of course, and the bridges have been skeletonised into a network of curving, anthracite supports. The rest of the movement however has been left relatively untouched. That means the various brass and steel components contrast fantastically with the dark bridges, with little pops of ruby bearings. It’s not what anyone would call colourful, but it’s certainly good-looking, especially with the additional finishing – a sunrayed mainplate and vertically brushed balance bridge – that Raymond Weil have added.

The movement is the RW1212, ostensibly an in-house calibre. Given it has a 41-hour power reserve, the same unusual number as the ubiquitous Seiko NH35 and 4R36, it’s hard to know if that’s a stretch or not, but there’s no denying it’s a good looking workhorse of a movement. That’s especially true of the brushed and skeletonised rotor.

Framed by a blue chapter ring, the frontside of the movement adds some structure to what would be the dial. It’s in a lovely medium blue, which is a safe default for this kind of thing, complete with the attached Raymond Weil lettering at 12 o’clock hanging like a signpost. Generally, I’d avoid mixing black and blue, but medium blue and anthracite? It walks the line and works, standing out enough from the intensely engineered backdrop to make it nice and readable. I much prefer it to the monochrome versions Raymond Weil’s shown off previously.

Indeed, it’s a rare skeletonised watch that you could call an everyday wearer, but the Freelancer 2783 fills that niche perfectly. Aside from the size, the five-link bracelet is comfortable enough for a full day on the wrist and thanks to the relatively long lugs, wears slightly larger than you’d expect from 38mm. Those lugs also give it punchier wrist presence, as does the large, cylindrical crown. To round off its go-anywhere, do-anything credentials, it has 100m water resistance, not enough to go diving but enough to beat back the elements. It’s much better made than anything you’d want to call a beater, but when push comes to shove, it feels like it can stand up more than your average daily wear and tear.

It feels good on the wrist, though I’m still not sure I can get used to seeing said wrist through the dial. Sure, it’s more obscured than on other skeleton watches, but it’s still a sticking point for me. That’s a personal compunction of course and if you love seeing the pure mechanics on display and don’t mind the backdrop then more power to you – this is a fantastic option.

So, onto the final element of the Freelancer Skeleton: price. Raymond Weil have gradually been upping their prices from where they were a few years back, but keeping the same value-for-money, and there’s a good amount of value on show here. That makes the £2,995 price tag not just acceptable but downright appealing. It sits in that sweet spot well under the other big players in the watchmaking field, but above your run-of-the-mill microbrands that live and die on headline-grabbing accessibility. It’s a respectable price tag sure, but one that still leaves you feeling like you’re getting a very good deal.

Am I full converted to skeleton watches? No, the Freelancer 2783 is still an outlier and one that, despite loving a lot about it, one I’m not sure I could bring myself to buy. But then I doubt many people would wear my gargantuan Seiko Tuna that I pretend I can pull off, so to each their own. The bottom line is, if you’re after a wellmade, everyday wearable skeleton watch, this is it.

More details at Raymond Weil.