Raymond Weil Celebrates The Genius of David Bowie

Raymond Weil have got us all excited again after announcing that they have produced a limited edition Freelancer “David Bowie” watch in tribute to the everlasting legend himself. David Bowie was an icon of British rock and pop and was known all over the world for his fashion and music. Raymond Weil collaborated with the David Bowie Estate to produce this stunning tribute timepiece that any fan would be proud to wear. The limited edition Freelancer is a celebratory tribute to the musical career and life of one of the biggest influential artists of his time. The watch was created  in time for his 70th birthday and it is dedicated to one of many personas that the artist created.

David Bowie was an artist with unparalleled creativity, a singular visionary and a man of a thousand faces and voices. His talent knew no bounds and combined with his fearless innovation his true colours shone through his final masterpiece, ★, which was released last year to some of the best critical notices of his distinguished career and winning five Grammy Awards and two Brit Awards in 2017.

To celebrate the immortal legend that is David Bowie, Raymond Weil  all the stops and really knuckle down as they needed a watch that knew no bounds, this is why they chose the Freelancer. The watch features a 42 mm diameter case which encases what is being called “one of the best dials they have ever released”. It has been made to resemble a vinyl record as accurately as possible and the brand have also added some little iconography which people associate with the legend himself.

The watches best feature for me is the infamous lightning bolt that David Bowie painted across his face which actually first appeared on the cover of the Aladdin Sane album in 1973. It has now become one of the most recognised marks of our time and so Raymond Weil saw fit to put it at the 12 o’clock so that you couldn’t miss it. Those huge David Bowie fans out there will know that Any Warhol designed a pop art logo just for David Bowie and it was revealed on the cover of the album for Diamond Dogs in 1974, due to the huge success and popularity of the logo Raymond Weil decided to add this to the dial of the David Bowie Limited Edition watch.

Raymond Weil have purposely only manufactured 3,000-pieces making this line a very limited series. The freelancer “David Bowie” is powered by a mechanical self-winding movement that is encased in a sapphire case back with David Bowies’ portrait on the back, the photo used for the etched portrait was taken in 1974 by famous photographer to the stars, Terry O’Neill.

“He was an artist in a league of his own, a visionary, multi-faceted icon whose work is testimony to an exceptional career as a musician and a creative. His metamorphoses both in terms of style and music studded his career, catapulting both himself and his characters to legendary status. He embodies the free spirit that has guided RAYMOND WEIL day after day since it was created” declared Elie Bernheim, CEO RAYMOND WEIL

“I’ve always felt that there was a real synergy behind great timepieces and photography. The precision of keeping time is akin to a photographer needing to know the exact moment to capture an iconic image. As a watch collector myself, this RAYMOND WEIL collaboration is a wonderful project to be affiliated with. Their watches are a thing of beauty. I’m thrilled they’ve selected to pay tribute to David Bowie in such a way and I’m honored to be a part of it.” Terry O’Neill

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