RJ Romain Jerome Arraw Marine Titanium Chronograph Blue Dial Swiss Automatic 45mm

Ironically, both Marco Tedeschi and Yvan Arpa (former Romain Jerome CEO) worked under Jean Claude Biver at Hublot. Yvan Arpa was part of the team who designed the original Hublot Big Bang, and after that, we went to RJ to design the Titanic DNA. Now Marco comes in and updates the core RJ look, bringing with him a lot of lessons he learned at Hublot — such is the wisdom of producing modular case designs so that aesthetic elements and materials can be so easily adjusted. 

Look closely at the Arraw dial, and you’ll see its high-quality materials and attractive design. The look is very Romain Jerome, but also has elements of older Porsche Design (which RJ sort of mimicked a few years ago). The style is pleasant but not as original as I might like. It also suffers from legibility issues since the skeletonized brushed hands hover over a lot of parts that are finished the same way. Designers seem utterly obsessed with skeletonized hands these days, and their arguments for them are two-fold. First they say that skeletonized hands helps with reading chronograph subdials more easily. Second, designers simply argue that skeletonized hands are more “modern.” 

Look on the back of the watch, and you’ll see a “mystery” automatic rotor which is meant to look like a spinning nautilus shell. Is this why the Arraw has a “Marine” modifier to the name? This is a fun design element but not original as we’ve seen on Blancpain watches and, of course, the Nautilus name is most closely associated with Patek Philippe. I don’t really know why RJ was going for this theme outside of wanting watch lovers to think of other models. This isn’t an issue per se, but it is a sign that RJ has yet to find its groove in terms of design originality in a few key areas (such as the rotor design).

Under the automatic rotor (not visible to the eyes) is the RJ caliber RJ2040 automatic chronograph movement. Produced for RJ by Concepto, I believe, this movement operates at 4Hz (28,800 bph) with 42 hours of power reserve. The automatic movement includes the time, 12-hour chronograph, and date window placed at 6 o’clock on the dial. The Arraw Marine box itself is a work of art and the brand even has its own Bearbrick figuring that is wearing a printed RJ watch. For people who have the disposable income to purchase a timepiece such as this, which is more about visual distinction than simple brand awareness, I think RJ is a more attractive option than ever before.