Southeast Asian retailer Sincere Fine Watches is marking its 70th anniversary with a series of limited editions, with the latest being the Vanguard Damascus Steel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition, equipped with a hand-wind, seven-day movement.

The Vanguard Damascus Steel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition features a case and movement bridges of Damascus steel, a pattern-welded alloy composed of two types of steel that create a distinctive grained surface. Limited to 28 pieces, it follows Sincere’s prior anniversary editions, including the Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon and H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Perpetual Calendar Concept MD.

An exotic alloy

The Vanguard Damascus Steel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition combines the trademark Franck Muller tonneau-shaped case, an unusual case alloy, and one of the brand’s more interesting movements, a skeleton calibre with a seven-day power reserve.

The Vanguard case is an evolution of the classic Franck Muller Cintrée Curvex, with modern lines echoed in the movement, which has a geometric and linear bridge layout.

The case, crown, buckle, and movement bridges of the Vanguard Damascus Steel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition are made of an unusual steel alloy known as Damascus steel, or wootz steel. The material gets its name from the ancient high-quality steel used for bladed weapons over a thousand years ago.

The modern-day Damascus steel employed here is created with powder metallurgy, namely mixing various steel powders before forging them, in this case 304L and 316L steels – both common in watchmaking but rarely as a single alloy.

Strong and corrosion resistant, the Damascus steel alloy is milled into a case at Franck Muller’s workshops in Genthod, a suburban district of Geneva. The case is then briefly acid etched to bring out the surface graining, as the constituent steels react differently to the chemical treatment, and finally polished to create a mirror finished on the grained surface of the Damascus steel.

The choice of a two-alloy steel is a deliberate one that calls to mind the longstanding partnership between Franck Muller and Sincere, which was one of the brand’s first-ever retailers worldwide. Franck Muller was established in 1991, and Sincere became the brand’s official retailer partner in Southeast Asia just a year later.

In-house and seven days

Within the case is the FM 1740-VS2, a skeletonised movement with two barrels and a lengthy, seven-day power reserve.  Laid out vertically, the FM 1740-VS2 has a large mainspring visible through an open-worked barrel at 12 o’clock and the seconds register at six.

The bridges and base plate are open-worked in a repeating “V” motif that complements the streamlined styling of the case. As is often the case with skeletonised movements, the open-worked bridges offer ample real estate for decoration. The finishing applied to the calibre includes bevelled edges and straight-grained flanks on the bridges and cocks, polished countersinks for the jewels and screws, and circular graining on the wheels.

Although the calibre has been used in past Franck Muller models, the specific variant of the movement employed here is unique: the bridges and base plate are milled from the same Damascus steel used for the case.

The watch, however, also features a dose of precious metal. The dial flange, case inserts, and cap on the crown are 18k rose gold. And inside the case, the hands as well as markers on the subsidiary seconds are also rose gold.

The Franck Muller Vanguard Damascus Steel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition is available at Sincere Fine Watches boutiques in Southeast Asia.

Key facts and price

Franck Muller Vanguard Damascus Steel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition
Ref. V 43 S6 SQT DAMAS SINCERE 70TH (5N)

Diameter: 42.5 mm by 52.7 mm
Height: 12.6 mm
Material: Damascus steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: MVT FM 1740-VS2
Functions: Hours, minutes, and seconds
Winding: Hand wound
Frequency: 18,000 beats per hour (2.5 Hz)
Power reserve: Seven days

Strap: Alligator with Damascus steel buckle

Availability: The limited edition of 28 pieces is available at all Sincere Fine Watches boutiques
Price: 71,100 Singapore dollars (equivalent to US$55,000)

For more, visit Sincerewatch.com.

This was brought to you in partnership with Sincere Fine Watches.

Essentially smaller versions of the preceding models, the Millesime Central Seconds and Millesime Moon Phase in 35 mm are the latest additions to Raymond Weil’s successful line of vintage-inspired watches. Debuting with five different variants, the new Millesime models retain the aesthetic that made the earlier versions popular: a contemporary interpretation of “sector” dial watches of the early 20th century.

Initial thoughts

Regarded as a “mall watch” brand for years – but nonetheless a profitable business of decent scale – Raymond Weil hadn’t been on the radar of most watch enthusiasts for some time. So when the Millesime won the award for watches under CHF3,000 at last year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), many of us were surprised.

The Millesime, however, is more than a “mall watch”. It has good proportions with a “sector” dial that is well-balanced, and underneath is a no-frills, reliable Sellita movement. It is an affordable watch and has the build quality to match, but that is a fact rather than a criticism.

Priced between US$1,650 and US$2,575 depending on the model, the 35 mm Millesime remains good value. It brings the “sector” dial-look to someone who wants a smaller watch.

Vintage-inspired aesthetics

The new Millesime takes after the original model, which was just under 40 mm. The case is nearly identical in design, a three-part affair with a flat bezel, large, fluted crown, and “glass box” sapphire crystal that highlight the vintage-inspired aesthetics. The flat bezel is vertically brushed on top with polished bevels, while the lugs feature alternating polished and brushed surfaces.

But the case is now 35 mm and fairly slim. While the central-seconds model is 9.18 mm in thickness, the moon phase model is taller at 9.98 mm due to the additional complication.

The denim blue models feature 16 lab-grown diamonds on the lugs

Both versions share a similar “sector” dial, with the only difference being the indices: batons for the central seconds and Arabic for the moon phase.

The central seconds is available with either a denim blue or silver dial with a steel case. It is also available with a rose gold-plated case and bracelet with a burgundy dial.

The moon phase model is offered in steel with a denim blue dial, a rose gold-plated case with a silver dial.

Both are equipped with basically the same Sellita calibre with 41 hours of power reserve, which features a rotor open-worked to form a “W” logo.

Key facts and price

Raymond Weil Millesime Automatic Central Seconds
Ref. 2125-STC-65001 (silver dial)
Ref. 2125-SCS-50011 (denim blue dial)
Ref. 2125-P5-45001 (burgundy dial)

Diameter: 35 mm
Height: 9.18 mm
Material: Stainless steel; stainless steel with rose gold PVD coating
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m

Movement: Cal. RW4200
Functions: Hours, minutes, and seconds
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: Unavailable
Power reserve: 41 hours

Strap: Calf-skin leather strap; stainless steel with rose gold PVD coating bracelet

Limited edition: No
Availability: Now at Raymond Weil boutiques and retailers 
Price: US$1,650 for the silver dial, US$2,025 for the denim blue dial, US$1,950 for the burgundy dial

Raymond Weil Millesime Automatic Moon Phase
Ref. 2145-SCS-05511 (denim blue dial)
Ref. 2145-PC5-05650 (silver dial)

Diameter: 35 mm
Height: 9.98 mm
Material: Stainless steel; stainless steel with rose gold PVD coating
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m

Movement: Cal. RW4280
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds and moon phase
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: Unavailable
Power reserve: 41 hours

Strap: Navy blue calf-skin leather strap

Limited edition: No
Availability: Now at Raymond Weil boutiques and retailers 
Price: US$2,575 for the denim blue dial; US$2,325  for the silver dial

For more, visit raymond-weil.com