aymond Weil’s decision to honour Basquiat is deeply rooted in the brand’s heritage and values. Elie Bernheim, the CEO of Raymond Weil and a dedicated art enthusiast, continues to uphold the artistic legacy of his grandfather, Mr Raymond Weil, the brand’s founder and passionate art collector. By introducing this special edition watch, Raymond Weil celebrates his spirit and ensures that creativity remains at the heart of the company’s culture.

Recognizing the inherent connection between art and music, Basquiat’s multifaceted influence in both domains emerged as the ideal artist for this inaugural launch. This marks an exciting evolution for the brand, expanding beyond its musical heritage. Indeed, it is music that made Basquiat tick. From the very start, Basquiat immersed himself in Downtown NYC nightlife, a melting pot of dance, art, and music.

“Art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time.” – Jean-Michel Basquiat (December 22, 1960 – August 12, 1988).

The new freelancer Basquiat Special Edition timepiece is a true collectors’ item showcasing Basquiat’s artwork on the exterior and the artistry of Swiss watchmaking within. From the moment you glance at the watch, expressionistic energy, and a profusion of familiar references capture the essence of Basquiat’s distinctive style.

A color palette dominated by the primary colors of red, yellow, and blue has been set against a black background to ensure the legibility of all horological functions. At the heart of the dial sits the iconic ‘Pez Dispenser’, the crown-wearing dinosaur depicted in Basquiat’s famous painting of 1984. Positioned at 12 o’clock, the unmistakable crown boasts a yellow Super-Luminova® embellishment, while the hour hands and indexes are dressed in white Super-LumiNova®, emitting a glow under dim light conditions. This harmonious marriage of artistic expression and functional design transforms the dial into a striking visual testament to both Basquiat’s legacy and the watch’s functionality.

Beautifully intertwining art and mechanics, the sleek black PVD pushers are emblazoned with Basquiat’s iconic symbols; the Copyright symbol on the Cancel/Reset pusher; the Dollar sign on the Start/Stop pusher and the artist’s signature crown motif on the screwed-down crown. The watch highlights a ceramic tachymeter bezel, designed for precise measurement, alongside a flange pulsometer scale calibrated for 30 pulsations. The bezel design itself, reminiscent of paint strokes, amplifies the artistic touch.

The bi-compax chronograph recessed counters and skeleton discs carry artistic depth. Located at 9 o’clock, the forever turning seconds’ disc has been covered with a concentric spiral as a metaphor for Basquiat’s personal reflections and life’s complexity. Positioned opposite, the 30-minute jumping disc depicts three of his core painting themes of life, death, and humanity.

The see-through sapphire crystal case back, subtly enhanced by a discreet blue gasket, provides a captivating view of the mechanical chronograph self-winding movement. At the heart of this timepiece lies Basquiat’s unmistakable signature, merging seamlessly with the W-shaped oscillating weight, Raymond Weil’s horological signature.

The titanium case marries design and function, sized at 43.5mm diameter and 13.7mm thickness for comfortable wear. The watch houses the caliber RW5030 movement, a mechanical bi-compax chronograph with automatic winding offering a 56-hour power reserve.

The watch is supplied in a special box featuring the iconic yellow crown on its side. Opening the box reveals a bespoke logo plate and ‘Pez’ icon. The box is made of black Plexiglass^® and printing inspired by Posca™️ paint markers, a nod to the mediums used by Basquiat in his early career. The presentation box provides an artistic means of showcasing the masterpiece within.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

MOVEMENT
Mechanical chronograph bi-compax with automatic winding – RW5030

POWER-RESERVE
56 hours

JEWELS 27

FUNCTIONS
Central hours and minutes, small seconds at 9 o’clock
Chronograph
Sleek black PVD pushers at 2 o’clock (start, stop, restart) and 4 o’clock (reset) featuring Basquiat’s iconic symbols: the dollar sign and copyright symbol
Central chronograph hand
30 minutes counter at 3 o’clock
Tachymeter
Pulsometer flange

CASE
Round – Titanium with a black ceramic tachymeter bezel inspired from Basquiat’s paint strokes and use of primary colours
Diameter: 43.5mm
Thickness: 13.7mm

CROWN
Screwed-down and fluted with Basquiat’s crown

CRYSTAL
Sapphire with antireflective treatment on both sides

DIAL
Black with the iconic “Pez Dispenser” at the center
Two recessed counters with white “cerclé” back
Nickel plated applique indexes enhanced with white Super-Luminova
Crown index at 12 o’clock enhanced with yellow Super-Luminova

HANDS
Hours / Minutes
Nickel plated, barrel-shaped, enhanced with white Super-Luminova
Small seconds
Skeleton discs with spiral cut out, a metaphor for Basquiat’s life complexity and personal reflections
Chronograph function
Blue and yellow second hand and a jumping minute disc at 3 o’clock depicting Basquiat’s three core painting themes “Life, Death, Humanity”

CASE BACK
Screwed-down, stainless steel with titanium-colour PVD coating, with Basquiat’s unmistakable signature, on the sapphire glass back, merging seamlessly with the w-shaped oscillating weight
Subtle blue gasket enhancing the see-through case back and matching with the pusher’s blue detail.

BRACELET
Genuine calf leather with titanium double push-security folding clasp

WATER RESISTANCE
100 m, 330 ft, 10 atm