Raymond Weil’s Maestro Moon Phase ladies wristwatch features a mother-of-pearl dial, calendar date pointer and the moon phase display. Click on the image for a better view. Photo: © TANG Portfolio, at BaselWorld 2013

The love of music runs deep within the family-owned Raymond Weil watch brand which is headquartered in Geneva. Founder Raymond Weil, who established his eponymous watch brand in 1976, is a fan of classical music and the opera.

Weil’s two daughters are performing artists. His son-in-law, Olivier Bernheim, who is currently the President and CEO of the brand, is a fan of the opera and his wife (Raymond Weil’s daughter) is a professional pianist.

Olivier Bernheim’s son, Elie, is now the third-generation family member involved in the business and he too, has a keen ear for music. Apart from the piano, Elie Bernheim also plays the cello.

Little wonder why its booth at the recently concluded 2013 BaselWorld watch fair resembled a cello and was nicknamed the “music box”. What’s more, the brand is adopting what Elie Bernheim terms “music” marketing to promote the timepieces and calls itself the “maestro of watchmaking.”

 

 

There is therefore no need to explain why the brand has a Maestro collection. The designs for this collection are classic and therein lies its appeal.

One 2013 example is the Maestro Moon Phase ladies watch which “serenades” the fairer sex with its mother-of-pearl dial, a calendar date pointer, moon phase display and diamond-set bezel.

The Maestro Moon Phase has a convenient push-button on the case (at the four o’clock position) for easy setting of the moon phase display. This feminine piece should not be confused with the Maestro Phase de Lune which offers similar features but is more masculine and has a different dial layout. This “moon serenade” is priced at less than 4,000 euros (around US$5,000 or S$6,500).

By the way, did you know that the song “Moon Serenade” is a classic recording by American musician and composer Glenn Miller which was released in May 1939?