Raymond Weil earned its reputation by re-thinking traditional watchmaking and bridging the market gap between affordable stylish watches and the core values and precision of Swiss watchmaking. Here we delve deeper into the Freelancer collection, a significant breakthrough in the brand’s history as it introduced Raymond Weil’s first visible balance wheel and has since seen many beloved iterations.

The Origins of the Raymond Weil Freelancer
Raymond Weil has long prided itself on its channeling a classic haute horology look—think clean and elegant designs, no-frills dials, handsomely showcased movements—but at an attainable price point. And, when the Freelancer collection debuted in 2007, it was a proud continuation of these core values.

Aesthetically, the Freelancer collection is a sports watch at its core, but, in true Raymond Weil form, is an elegantly pared down take on the category. What truly distinguished the collection upon release was its visible balance wheel.

In the very simplest of terms, a watch’s balance wheel (or simply balance) works in tandem with the balance spring to effectively keep the time. While the balance spring steadily pulls the wheel towards the center position, the balance wheel swings back and forth, and it advances the hands of the watch to display the time.

The Freelancer’s visible balance wheel allowed watch enthusiasts and collectors to admire the mechanical intricacies of the movement inside. This breakthrough was significant to Raymond Weil as it kicked off the brand’s foray into becoming a bigger competitor in the manufacturing arena, challenging older brands with its affordably-priced, handsomely-designed, and now precision-made watches.

The Raymond Weil Freelancer 1212
In 2017, the Freelancer was the first collection to house Raymond Weil’s first proprietary automatic movement.

Just as the original Freelancer was a flex of Raymond Weil’s engineering muscle, the Freelancer 1212 is a testament to Raymond Weil’s research and development team who spent 18 months designing and producing the movement with their Swiss manufacture partner Stellia. (In fact, the Freelancer 1212 is named after the post code of the brand’s Geneva headquarters as nod to the in-house team behind the movement.)

The Freelancer 1212 falls in step with the Raymond Weil tradition of elegant watch designs at a remarkably affordable price point while advancing the brand and its reputation for well-researched and -developed timepieces.

Collaborations and Modern Iterations of the Freelancer Collection
Since the Freelancer’s breakout debut, it has been the foundational design for many fresh iterations and been at the heart of Raymond Weil’s high-profile collaborations.

Music has always been the underlying inspiration source for all of Raymond Weil’s designs—which is why its best-known collections are named the Maestro, Toccata, and Amadeus. However, to appeal to a younger generation of watch collectors, the third generation of the family-run brand has shifted its source material from classical music to rock ‘n roll stars. Raymond Weil has crafted collector’s and limited editions of its Freelancer Collection with the likes of AC/DC, David Bowie, and Les Paul guitar manufacture Gibson. Each iteration pays tribute to these groundbreaking musicians and their lasting influence on the genre.

To learn more about Raymond Weil and its unique history in the watch industry, check out our post on the topic here! 

The primary birthstone for November is a gem called topaz.

The Origins and Cultural Significance of Topaz
The word topaz is said to come from the Ancient Greek word topázos, which refers to a yellow rock that was said to come only from a small island called St. John’s Island in the Red Sea. The stone was thought by the Ancient Greeks to bring strength, to break magic spells, and to dispel anger. The English thought the stone cured lunacy. In India, topaz worn above the heart assures long life, beauty, and intelligence. The stone was also treated as sacred by African shamans, who would use it in their healing rituals.

There is also a special kind of topaz that is mined from the Russian Ural Mountains—this type, called imperial topaz in honor of the czar, has a rare, pinkish-orange hue and wasn’t allowed to be owned and worn by anyone other than the royal family. As the Ural Mountains were the leading source of topaz during the 19th century, this lent the stone a measure of prestige.

Historically, there was a lot of confusion about topaz, especially as the word topaz was often used to describe just any yellow stone during the Middle Ages. Now, the word refers specifically to this silicate mineral species.

As for where topaz can be mined, Brazil is one of the largest producers of the stone, and it can also be found in countries like Russia, Sri Lanka, Norway, Pakistan, Mexico, Australia, and the United States.

Notable Topaz
The American Golden Topaz is the largest cut yellow topaz on record, weighing in at a stunning 22,892.5 carats. This golden giant was mined in Minas Gerais, Brazil—one of the richest sources of high-quality topaz in the world—and was cut down from 26 lbs to 10.1 lbs in the late 1980s. Color-wise, the stone isn’t as valuable as a vibrant imperial topaz would be, but its sheer size is impressive enough.

The Properties and Hardness of Topaz
The topaz is an interesting gemstone because, while it has a relatively high Mohs hardness of 8, the stone has to be handled more carefully than other stones with a similar hardness rating. This is because the stone’s molecules have a weak atomic bond, so if struck with something hard, a topaz could fracture.

The stone occurs naturally in golden brown to yellow, most often, but it can also appear in orange, pink, pinkish-orange, violet, and, quite rarely, blue. Topaz can also be treated to appear anywhere from transparent to wine red to pale green. Because it has such variety in color, many different types of metals may suit this stone, but we recommend setting the piece in a particularly sturdy metal, like low-karat gold or platinum, to support the stone. A bezel-set topaz would be protected very well and would last quite a long time.

We pulled together the year’s best-sellers and all-time fan-favorites for our biggest catalog of holiday gift ideas— all guaranteed to wow!

Cartier Juste un Clou, a Trend-Right Accessory for Her
This and any holiday season, you cannot go wrong with a gift from Cartier. The iconic Love Bracelet is always a smart and surprisingly romantic choice but, if you’re looking for something a little out of the box, consider the Juste un Clou. This nailhead-inspired bracelet pumps up the edge-factor of any wardrobe for an undeniably luxurious and cool look.

Cartier Tank Américaine Watch, a Vintage-Inspired Find
The Cartier Tank Américaine watch has a softer appeal than the traditional military-inspired Cartier Tank. The Tank Américaine offers that quintessential Cartier look—the Roman numeral dial, the blue hands, and the sapphire cabochon-capped crown—but with a slim silhouette and a leather strap that makes it feel like a rare vintage find. This is perfect for someone who appreciates the Cartier name and the high-quality craftsmanship that comes with it but shies away from flashier or more recognizable styles.

CHANEL C&C Logo Jewelry, an Everyday Fashion Statement
If delicate or fine jewelry is not really your partner’s thing, consider a piece of vintage CHANEL costume jewelry—one of the most coveted gifts year-round. The designer name and iconic interlocked C&C logo instantly make the gift feel significant. But the piece’s weighty design stamps out that “too precious to wear” feeling that often comes with fine jewelry and lets the wearer enjoy it as an outfit accent any and every day.

David Yurman Cable Classics, an Affordable Gift with Collect-Them-All Appeal
David Yurman’s iconic Cable Classics are a beloved style. With a huge variety of weights, metal combinations, or gemstone caps, these twisted bracelets have a collectible allure. Start your own gift-exchange tradition with one of these layer-friendly bracelets and add to the collection each birthday, anniversary, or holiday!

Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra, a Subtly Formal Everyday Watch
If you want to get a gift your spouse a very practical but still meaningful gift, consider the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra. It’s a timeless model that deftly toes the line between sporty (it is, after all, a highly durable diving watch) and formal, thanks to its dial’s slick teak motif, inspired by the decks of classic Italian yachts. This combo makes the Seamaster Aqua Terra a perfect everyday watch, a gift they can appreciate and wear year-round.

Swiss-Made Watches, a Classic and Sentimental Timepiece
A handsome evening watch has a certain sense of romantic weight, making it a particularly suitable gift idea if you and your S.O. are celebrating a momentous anniversary or commemorating the year together. We love Zenith and Raymond Weil for their impeccable Swiss-made quality, coolly minimalist designs, and budget-friendly styles.

Rolex Submariner, a Signature Style for Any Collector
Of all of Rolex’s iconic styles—the sporty Daytona, the slick two-tone Datejust, or the stately Day-Date—the Submariner is by far and large the most recognizable. The Submariner’s robust design and distinctive dial have endeared it to generations of collectors. Get his collection started on the right foot—or round out a respectable collection—with this essential Rolex model.

Rolex Datejust, an Elegant Women’s Watch
The Rolex Datejust is a signature Rolex model, quickly recognized for its fluted bezel. We love this luxurious style for women in particular. That said, more and more women are eschewing the petite case sizes and reaching for the Datejust in larger case sizes (which historically were classified as men’s watches) for a more impressive, less dainty look—perfect for your fashionable and confident partner.

Vintage Watches, a Deeply Special and Romantic Gift
Whether your spouse is an avid watch collector or not, you cannot compete with the sentiment imbued in a vintage watch. The weathered look and feel alludes to the timepiece’s mysterious past, and the nature of a vintage watch lends a one-of-a-kind air to your thoughtful gift.

Tiffany & Co. Elsa Peretti Open Heart Collection, a Timeless and Sweet Design
Tiffany & Co. has been the long-time go-to jeweler for gifts in general, but the Elsa Peretti Open Heart Collection has grown into the premier choice for holiday gifts. The collection features rings, bracelets, and earrings, and even key fobs! But the fan-favorite is the pendant necklace that features an artful (read: not cheesy) and slightly abstract heart, a precious and intimate gift idea.

Besides its iconic screw-head motif, the Cartier Love Bracelet is known for its elegant elliptical shape that gives it a comfortable fit. This unique shape can make it slightly harder for you to determine your wrist size in Cartier’s Love Bracelet sizing system.

So, to help you find the perfect fit, we explain how to convert your wrist measurement into your perfect Cartier Love Bracelet size.

1. Print and cut out TrueFacet’s Wrist Sizer. (Download link here.)

2. With the number markers on the outside, curl the wrist sizer in a circle and carefully insert the pointed end just through the small opening.

3. Place your hand through the wrist sizer and gently pull the pointed end through the slit until the wrist sizer fits comfortably around your wrist.

4. The number that lines up with the arrow is your wrist size. If the measurement is between two sizes, refer to the larger size. As a European company, Cartier measures their bracelets in centimeters.

5. To determine your Cartier Love Bracelet size, Cartier recommends adding one centimeter to your measured size for a tight fit and two centimeters for a loose fit.

And, once you receive your Cartier Love Bracelet, check out our video tutorial on how to easily put on and lock your Cartier Love Bracelet or Cartier SM Love Bracelet here!

The gifting season makes us all a little nostalgic and, if you had something big and exciting happen to you and your partner, you’re probably feeling extra romantic. Check out our favorite gifts to surprise your loved one with this holiday season that are a sweet nod to the time you’ve spent together.

Your First Holiday Together
To commemorate your first holiday season together, consider one of these classic gift options that carry a warm and sentimental appeal without being too over-the-top!

Your Fifth Holiday Together
Here are three stately and timeless pieces that perfectly suit this milestone in your relationship that feel significant and immediately personal.

Your Tenth Anniversary
Congratulations on your anniversary! Ten years together calls for a meaningful gift and one your partner will cherish for years. Consider adding more of a personal touch by having the piece engraved with their initials or your anniversary date.

Your S.O. Landed That Big Promotion
Your significant other has been throwing themselves into their work, and this year, their effort and dedication has finally been deservedly recognized. Celebrate their exciting news with a gift of one of these timepieces that will perfectly match their new corner office.

You and Your Partner Moved Cross-Country
Packing up the old apartment and relocating to a new city is an exciting change for your family. Give your loved one a sweet something to remember your hometown by and kick off the next chapter in your new digs the right way.

You Had a Baby!
Welcome the newest member of your family with one of these commemorative gifts with baby’s birthstone. And, for even more gift ideas for new and expecting moms, check out our post here!

Zenith has an impressive history in watchmaking and has been responsible for some very influential breakthroughs in the field, including bringing together watchmaking artisans under one roof and creating the very first manufacture. Here, we round up Zenith’s most popular watch models to help you find the perfect next addition to your collection!

Zenith El Primero Chronomaster

The Zenith El Primero is history’s very first fully-integrated automatic chronograph—let that sink in for a moment. The importance of that watchmaking development cannot be understated when we think about other history-making chronographs—like the Rolex Daytona and the Omega Speedmaster—that have only been made possible via Zenith’s breakthrough chronograph. It’s only natural that, given this rare distinction, the Zenith El Primero Chronomaster is one of the brand’s most popular styles, beloved for its significant history and slick design.

Zenith Defy Classic

Born out of Zenith’s Defy Lab (the limited-edition watch that featured a super-high-frequency oscillator), the Zenith Defy Classic was released as an affordable everyday sports watch. The ideal entry-level watch for budding collectors, the Defy Classic has all the impressive trappings of an ultra-high end Swiss-made watch (especially if you opt for the openwork or skeletonized Defy Classic) but without the hefty price tag.

Zenith Captain Moonphase

If you love minimalist watches, the Zenith Captain Moonphase will definitely appeal to you. This watch is a handsome testament to Zenith’s heritage and impeccable craftsmanship, bringing together traditional watch stylings with innovative movements. The Captain Moonphase’s striking elegance is thanks to all its subtle and luxurious details: a guilloché dial, rhodium-plated applied hour markers, and a clear caseback.

Zenith Pilot Type 20 Chronograph

With a unique solid brass watch case and weathered leather strap, the Zenith Pilot echoes vintage watches from the World War II era. And the throwback stylings don’t end there: the Pilot Type 20’s large dial features retro Arabic numerals and black oxidized grooves for a more worn-in look and feel. The culminating result is a striking conversation-starting timepiece and a fan-favorite.

Zenith ELITE Classic

An absolutely no-frills watch, the Zenith ELITE Classic has an incredibly slim silhouette and a captivating minimalist dial. The ELITE Classic’s pared down look focuses on the fine details that watch enthusiasts will appreciate: a clear caseback that showcases a mesmerizing Elite 679 movement and a smoked ombré dial to add unexpected dimensionality. The ELITE Classic stands out for its gorgeously simple design and is a smart option if you want a watch that will pique interest at every occasion.

Fine jewelry is nearly always passed down among family members who treasure their pieces’ history and value. Inherited pieces of jewelry like this often come with stories tied to them: happy tales of anniversaries, birthdays, career milestones. However, for certain famous pieces, their stories are less than cheerful. From the collections of royals and thieves come these three famous pieces that are renowned for the horrible curses that are supposedly tied to them.

The Hope Diamond

The Hope Diamond is arguably the most famous cursed piece of jewelry in the world. Its origins can be traced back to the 17th century, when it was mined in Golcanda, India at 112.19 carats. It was first purchased by French traveller and gem merchant Jean Baptiste Tavernier, who then sold the stone to King Louis XIV of France in 1668.

Louis XIV had it re-cut and -set, but could not enjoy it for long. Four years after he received it, in 1792, he and his wife Marie Antoinette were caught while they were trying to flee France and were beheaded.

That same year, the stone was stolen during a looting of the French National Treasury. The line of provenance gets murky here, but the diamond finds itself in the hands of King George IV of England, whose estate sold it after his death to settle his incredible debts in 1830. Its next owner is John Frankel from New York City, whose sons kept the stone until it was sold yet again to settle terrible debts.

In 1909, Pierre Cartier sold the Hope Diamond to Evalyn Walsh Mclean, an heiress and socialite  who’d known of the diamond’s cursed history but chose to ignore it, as she said “unlucky objects were lucky for her.”  In the years after her acquisition of the stone, her son died in a car accident, her daughter of an overdose of sleeping pills, and her husband in a sanitarium for brain atrophy due to alcoholism (but not before cheating on her first). Her family also had to sell their bankrupt newspaper, the Washington Post, before she died of pneumonia in 1947.

The stone was acquired by Harry Winston, who donated it to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. in 1958, and it has been on display there in its final 45-carat form ever since.

The Delhi Purple Sapphire

This stone’s haunted quality is quite cast in doubt, but it certainly does have an interesting story, whether the hauntings are true or not.

The Delhi Purple Sapphire is, firstly, not actually a sapphire, but an amethyst. The stone was reportedly taken by a British soldier from the Temple of Indra in Kanpur, India in 1857. It found itself in the hands of Colonel W. Ferris, whose family began suffering from financial and health problems. “From the day he possessed it, he was unfortunate,” wrote Edward Heron-Allen.

Heron-Allen was a scientist, writer, and Persian scholar who came to own the Delhi Purple Sapphire himself in 1890 and faced a bout of bad luck himself, which he tried to reverse by setting the stone into a ring and “neutralizing” it with other blessed stones in 1902.

He later pawned the stone off on his friends, who, according to London’s Natural History Museum, were afflicted by a “trail of suicides, apparitions, disasters, and failed careers.” Eventually, Heron-Allen took the stone back, packed it inside seven boxes, and gave it to his bankers, who were instructed not to open it until 33 years after his death. With the stone, he packaged a letter detailing this terrible history of bad luck and bloodshed, instructing whoever owned it next to “cast it into the sea.”

His daughter was not nearly so superstitious and donated the stone to the London Natural History Museum less than a year after Heron-Allen’s death, and the museum’s researchers have deemed the letter a sham. Nevertheless, the stone comes with a fascinating history, and even if its stories were true, it is being displayed safely behind glass at the museum.

The Black Prince’s Ruby

Like the Delhi Purple Sapphire, which was not actually a sapphire, the Black Prince’s Ruby is not actually a ruby, but in fact a large red spinel, which is much less valuable. Because of this, the stone was labelled “The Great Impostor.”

The stone was reportedly mined from what is modern-day Tajikistan and taken to Spain, where in the 14th century it was taken by force from Granada by the King of Castile, Pedro the Cruel. Shortly after he acquired it, his half-brother attacked him and challenged his hold on the crown.

Sources differ on what happened next: some say Edward of Woodstock, the “Black Prince,” acquired it because of his success after the Hundred Year’s War in Europe. Others say Pedro the Cruel appealed to the Black Prince for assistance in holding off his brother’s advances on the crown and they were victorious, so the Black Prince was given the stone in thanks. Either way, the stone stayed in the Black Prince’s collection until his death of a mysterious disease nine years later.

The “ruby” reportedly lay witness to various battles and to the mysterious, disease-fueled deaths of its owners. King Henry V of England supposedly wore it during the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, in which he nearly died. The stone stayed in the British Tudor family of royals until Charles I was beheaded for treason in 1649 and the stone was sold. It was bought back by Charles II, who nearly lost it when the crown jewels were stolen, but it was eventually set into the Imperial State Crown of England.

Apparently, some say that the curse continues, as the jewelers who re-set the stone suffered a fire in 1841, and the Tower of London, where the jewels are kept, was bombed in World War II, but for now, the Black Prince’s Ruby seems to be at rest.

On September 5th, 2018, luxury jeweler designer Mimi So opened her newest namesake store on Crosby Street in New York City’s Lower East Side.

So’s store is a self-described “urban wonderland.” The space appears as though it was decorated with a light hand: a pair of display cases for jewelry, some inviting plush armchairs near the front of the store, and a vintage park bench sits at the back under a large screen that displays the colorful artwork associated with the Mimi So brand and her signature Wonderland Collection. Every single piece in this minimalist space was not just hand-picked by So herself, but she also infused her unique sensibility for design into it as well.

The store is intended to feel like a comforting space; So wants her clients to come in and feel as though they’re walking into her own home. To that end, So placed items from her actual house (including delicate china and personal affects like a silver hand mirror and children’s books) throughout the display cases to infuse the space with homely touches. The quality of the furniture played a big part in creating that atmosphere for her.

“I am about materials,” she says. “The quality of maple wood, the finest textile embroidery from Italy, reclaimed wood floors. The integrity of a space is of more importance to me than many pieces of lower-quality execution.” This philosophy extends into the creation of her jewelry, as well.

Using high-quality gemstones, fine metals, and top-notch craftsmanship, Mimi So allows the caliber of her pieces to speak to her definition of luxury. More than that, both her jewelry and the new store that they now live in are born from her desire to make manifest her love for the whimsical and for the childhood she spent being exposed to the sights and sounds of New York City.

The Mimi So store is full of surprises, but not just because of the unique jewelry it displays or the one-of-a-kind furniture that decorates it. Its address, 21 Crosby Street, is not exactly a destination for jewelry, but rather a street that is slowly evolving to cater to lovers of art and luxury.

“[Having] Rick Owens across the street [and] Opening Ceremony and luxury hotels as bookends really creates an exciting organic flow of people,” So says. Considering her A-list clientele (from Davie Bowie and Iman to Jennifer Lopez), it’s no surprise that she would choose a location oriented towards luxury, but 21 Crosby Street also lies at a fascinating intersection where it acknowledges both its luxurious future and its gritty, New York City past. That juxtaposition allows for some interesting traffic: she notes that some loyal clients have flown in to see the space while tourists trickle in from the Gucci store down the street and famous artists like Jeffrey Brosk stop by to say hello.

As with her unique pieces, Mimi So has created a space of her own in the heart of the Lower East Side, just blocks away from the street she grew up in. For So, 21 Crosby Street is both a way to bring her brand home and a portal into her inner beautiful, colorful world.

NOW OPEN
Mimi So
21 Crosby Street (between Howard and Grand Street)
New York, NY 10013
212-300-8620