Some brands build their identity around a complication, a movement or a technical innovation. Others find their inspiration in a world that extends far beyond watchmaking. This is the case of Raidillon, a young Belgian house that, since its founding in 2001, has drawn its DNA from one of the world’s temples of motorsport: the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
To mark its twenty-fifth anniversary, the brand celebrates this history with two anniversary edition chronographs, the Curve and the Speed. Two emblematic models that perfectly sum up Raidillon’s philosophy: pairing Swiss watchmaking elegance with a passion for motor racing.
On this page
- A brand born from a corner that became legendary
- Twenty-five years of passion celebrated with two chronographs
- Curve, innovation in the service of design
- Speed, the heritage of great automotive chronographs
- Swiss mechanics in the service of a Belgian identity
- Another way of living the automotive passion
- Frequently asked questions
A brand born from a corner that became legendary
To understand Raidillon, one must first return to Belgium, up in the heights of the Ardennes.
The Raidillon de l’Eau Rouge is probably the most famous sequence of corners in motorsport. After plunging into the Eau Rouge valley, drivers face a dizzying climb that they now tackle at over 300 km/h. Technical, spectacular and particularly demanding, this section has become one of the absolute symbols of Spa-Francorchamps.
By choosing this name, Raidillon immediately asserts its identity. Here, it is not a matter of mere automotive inspiration: racing is the very essence of the brand.
This lineage even extends to its production principle. Each watch is systematically limited to 55 pieces, a number that refers to the number of cars allowed to take the start of the major races once held on the Belgian circuit.
Even the superstition typical of motorsport is honored. The number 13, traditionally considered unlucky in the paddock, is removed from the numbering in favor of a 00/55 piece.
Twenty-five years of passion celebrated with two chronographs
To mark this quarter century, Raidillon is not overhauling its collection. The house prefers to put the spotlight on the two models that best embody its identity: the Curve and the Speed.
Both receive a series of exclusive details that recall this anniversary.
The number 25 appears discreetly on the dial, while several orange touches liven up the overall look. This color choice is no accident. Orange has long been associated with the Raidillon universe and gives a sportier reading while evoking the colors regularly seen in paddocks and on race tracks.
The result is subtle. The commemorative elements blend naturally into the design of the watches without ever becoming excessive.
Curve, innovation in the service of design
Of the two novelties, the Curve remains without doubt Raidillon’s most original creation.
Designed by Belgian designer Axel Enthoven, this chronograph immediately stands out for its patented case with curved lines. Far removed from conventional shapes, its asymmetry creates a constant impression of motion, as if the watch itself were negotiating a corner at high speed.
The lugs appear to detach from the case, the rectangular pushers recall the controls of a racing car, and the different dial textures evoke the roughness of asphalt.
For this anniversary edition, Raidillon fittingly adopts an anthracite dial whose texture recalls the surface of the famous Raidillon corner at Spa-Francorchamps. The orange accents reinforce this evocation and naturally draw the eye to the number 25 placed at five o’clock.
The strap also contributes to this racing atmosphere. Owners can choose between an anthracite Rallye leather strap enhanced with orange stitching or a fully orange, more eye-catching version.
Beating beneath this strong personality is a Swiss automatic Sellita SW500 movement, offering a power reserve of around 42 hours and visible through the transparent case back.
Speed, the heritage of great automotive chronographs
With the Speed, Raidillon takes a more classic approach, without giving up its identity.
Its 42 mm case is more reminiscent of the great traditional automotive chronographs, while its cream dial brings a more timeless elegance.
References to motor racing remain numerous. The famous number 55 naturally finds its place in the twelve-hour counter, while the double orange index at the fifty-fifth minute discreetly recalls the brand’s signature number.
As on the Curve, the number 25 appears at five o’clock to celebrate this anniversary.
The Speed also houses an automatic Sellita SW500 movement. Here Raidillon announces a comfortable power reserve of 62 hours, allowing the chronograph to keep running after a weekend spent unworn.
Two Rallye straps, orange and anthracite, are supplied with the watch to adapt its style to the wearer’s mood.
Swiss mechanics in the service of a Belgian identity
While Raidillon proudly asserts its Belgian origins, the brand remains faithful to the standards of Swiss watchmaking.
Both chronographs are powered by automatic Sellita movements, renowned for their robustness and ease of maintenance. The stainless steel cases feature anti-reflective sapphire crystal on both sides and offer water resistance of 100 meters.
The transparent case back allows the mechanics to be admired, a reminder that these watches are not limited to their automotive-inspired aesthetics.
The overall design favors legibility, with large applied indexes, luminescent hands and a classic counter layout that will appeal to sports chronograph enthusiasts.
Another way of living the automotive passion
The world of automotive-inspired watches is particularly rich. Many brands multiply partnerships with manufacturers or international competitions.
Raidillon takes a different path.
The house does not celebrate a team or a driver, but a place. A stretch of asphalt that has become legendary for several generations of enthusiasts. This approach gives its creations a singular and deeply authentic identity.
The Curve and Speed anniversary editions perfectly illustrate this philosophy. They do not try to reproduce a car’s dashboard or pile on stylistic references. Above all, they capture the emotions of driving on one of the world’s most beautiful circuits.
Produced in just 55 pieces each, they also carry on a tradition that has become inseparable from Raidillon.
Twenty-five years after its founding, the Belgian house thus continues to chart its own course in the independent watchmaking landscape. A course where every watch tells a little of the story of Spa-Francorchamps and reminds us that some passions never see a finish line.
Frequently asked questions
Raidillon is a young Belgian watchmaking house founded in 2001, whose identity draws directly from the Spa-Francorchamps race circuit, in particular the famous Eau Rouge/Raidillon corner sequence.
They are anniversary editions released to mark Raidillon’s twenty-fifth anniversary, each featuring exclusive commemorative details such as the number 25 on the dial and orange accents.
The Curve features a patented, asymmetrical curved case designed by Belgian designer Axel Enthoven, an anthracite dial evoking asphalt texture, rectangular pushers, and a Sellita SW500 automatic movement with about 42 hours of power reserve.
The Speed takes a more classic approach with a 42 mm case and a cream dial, references the number 55 in its twelve-hour counter, and uses a Sellita SW500 automatic movement offering a 62-hour power reserve.
The number 55 refers to the number of cars once allowed to start the major races held on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, and the brand also omits the unlucky number 13 from its numbering, replacing it with a 00/55 piece.
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