Raymond Weil Maestro Blues Men Visible Balance Wheel Automatic Watch, Blue Dial, Roman Numerals, Blue Leather Strap, 39.5 mm (Model: 2227-STC-00508)

The quality of materials and build on this watch are phenomenal. If you're getting into mechanical watches or are looking to get a gift for someone that is deep into them, you cannot go wrong with the open heart Maestro from Raymond Weil. Raymond Weil as an independent Swiss watch manufacturer that gets their movements custom made by the same Swiss movement companies as Tissot, Longines, Omega, and many other of the SWATCH group subsidiaries (movements by ETA, Sellita, etc...) so the quality of the mechanisms inside the watch are superb as well. This is no "fashion brand" watch, but rather is a more than valid competitor to the Swiss conglomerates from a value for the money standpoint. For this Maestro model specifically, the open heart and transparent back allow for you to see the internal workings of the mechanism as well. It sits comfortably on the wrist, is secure for its strap, has a very interesting buckling mechanism, and is suitable for more formal wear as well as everyday use. The dial is spectacularly finished and the open heart aperture has the internal mechanisms and braces finished in such a way that it compliments the appearance nicely. Examining the skeletonized back casing you can see similar attention paid to the components visible there as well, so that the overall aesthetic is consistent and sharp. The quality of the watch is sufficiently high that were I to have purchased this at closer to full MSRP, I would still have felt that I got excellent value for the money. I have purchased 3 Raymond Weil's so far in my life, 2 for wedding presents years ago and this one, and never once after years of use have they done anything but perform marvelously. This is a watch designed to last for decades, so bringing it in for preventative servicing at least once every 5 years will be important to maintaining its longevity (as with any high end watch in this category).