The belgian watchmaker Raidillon

The belgian watchmaker Raidillon

Great racing drivers win by tenths of a second. Equally sensitive to engines and the beauty of bodywork, these connoisseurs of fine mechanics are also lovers of fine watches. Born from a passion for racing and cars: Raidillon limited series of watches and stopwatches.

'Raidillon' is the name of the most famous corner at Spa-Francorchamps, undoubtedly the drivers' favourite circuit thanks to its varied layout and technical difficulty. The Belgian circuit was also the scene of the presentation of the first Raidillon watches in June 2001. They are the result of Bernard Julémont's passion for motor racing, rallying, and pole position. This man from Brussels, also a high-quality watchmaking enthusiast, decided to take a (crazy) gamble and create a brand of watches à la belge fully dedicated to cars: Raidillon. Watches with innovative designs made in Belgium, with high-quality Swiss mechanisms and an international projection. Small marvels of aestheticism and technical excellence that are right in line with the times -a chic sporty appearance and excellent value for money-, without disowning the watchmaking tradition from which they emerge.

Limited series

A feature of the brand: like the races at Spa-Francorchamps with only 55 cars, each (numbered) model is made in a limited series of 55, not one more. There is no number 13 (banned from motor sport)! However, there is a number 0 to make up the 55 pieces. Why 55? The car connection. 55 is the maximum number of cars allowed on the Francorchamps circuit by the FIA. 1955 also saw the birth of the Belgian national motor sport team. Indeed, Raidillon has been the official partner of the 24 Hours of Francorchamps for five years, and each driver from the winning team received a Raidillon stopwatch on the podium. Today, the brand is renewing itself non-stop and every year sees the birth of new models, spread across several collections (Casual Friday, Black Tie, Night Panel, Timeless, Cruise, Havana, Racing). Their 'rarity' determines their exclusive nature. What mainly changes is the relationship between the face/hands, through the appearance of models with coloured faces (red, orange, blue or ivory) where the stitching in the watchstraps matches the (Arabic) figures on the face. This limited series of Raidillon watches are a ‘must' for a man who wants to stand out. Other ambassadors of the brand include Ari Vatanen and Eric Van De Poele.

Movements with a strong reputation

Styled in the same way as dashboard instruments, the Raidillon watch is big (face diameter 38-48 mm), has a sporty and masculine appearance, with an easy-to-read face with sapphire glass (non-reflecting) that gives clear information. The purely masculine character of Raidillon watches is now something of the past. First of all, it seems that some women's' wrists can wear this eminently man's watch very well. Second, because the brand has launched an automatic ladies' model with a 32 mm face. Raidillon also announces the production of complications such as a rattrapante chronograph perfectly in line with the brand's DNA: exclusivity, innovation, design.

Last year, Raidillon presented a watch with complications, the 'Jauge', with power reserve and a second time zone. The 55 copies of this original model have (almost) been sold directly. Its face reminds you of the instruments of a racing car, with a 6-hour counter showing the autonomy of the watch. This model, called 'Equipe Nationale Belge', includes the logo of the team set up in 1955. The colour of the national team's cars was yellow at the time; a colour that does not go unnoticed.

Raidillon watches are driven by high-precision Swiss movement. A mechanical movement with manual or automatic ETA winding being manufactured since 1793, which is not bad! As for the stopwatches, they have a Valjoux 7750 automatic movement, a reference in the field.

Raidillon does not skimp on dressing up its watches, choosing straps in top-quality leather with thick points of attachment and black edges. The straps are made individually, almost made-to-measure, in a (Belgian) workshop that works for the biggest names in fine watchmaking: Lic, in Ostend. Each watchstrap is hand assembled and sewn in a wide variety of colours of leather and stitching related to the face.

Belgian by birth, the saga of Raidillon watches now takes on a clear international flavour. They are sold in Belgium in a shop of the same name excellently located in the prestigious Galerie de la Reine in Brussels. They are also distributed world-wide in a network of multi-brand shops, even in Mexico...