For several years now, women have been taking up a new stance in watchmaking. While they continue to endorse gem-set watches, they are also increasingly fascinated by the complexity and technicality of watchmaking. Always eager to please this demanding clientele, Richard Mille has created the new RM 07-02 Pink Lady Sapphire especially for them: an automatic calibre protected by a pink sapphire case.
The 1930s was an innovative period, when the famous Pink Lady drink for women was introduced. This balanced cocktail designed for female members of high society encapsulated a desire to modernize the rather chauvinist customs of clubs and their gentlemen clientele. In the same spirit that sparked the creation of this ladies’ cocktail, the RM 07-02 Pink Lady Sapphire brings a feminine approach to technique, cloaking it in the pink tones of this renowned drink.
Crafted from sections of pink sapphire taken from a single block, the case of the RM 07-02 is extremely difficult to machine. Observing the manufacturing process of a pink sapphire case highlights the challenge its creation entails, from both an engineering and technical standpoint. There is no room for even a single cutting error. The case requires almost forty days of machining and finishing to meet the uncompromising specifications laid out by Richard Mille. Numerous tests then follow to verify that the brand’s resistance and comfort requirements have been met.
Beneath its pink exterior, this original and ergonomic tripartite case reveals a unique automatic movement beating at its heart. The new in-house CRMA5 calibre is assembled around a skeletonized plate in microblasted 5N gold set with diamonds. The same 5N gold is used for the flange and the bridges, whose hand-chamfered and hand-drawn angles and edges capture even more light at the heart of the caliber.
Like the RM collection, the RM 07-02 features exceptional technical characteristics such as hand-decorated and gem-set gold bridges, a variable inertia balance wheel designed to ensure optimum performance in the long term, and a variable geometry rotor in 18K 5N red gold set with diamonds, which adapts the winding of the watch to the movements of the wearer. The central dial in onyx and diamonds, the crown in 5N red gold and the strap in white alligator skin add the perfect finishing touches to this exceptional creation.
With the RM 07-02 Pink Lady Sapphire —a caliber boasting an extremely technical design as well as a highly sensual appearance—Richard Mille is opening his sapphire collection to women.
Women of today want it all, and who could blame them’ After all, a woman’s life in the 21st century is one of the most demanding imaginable, far different from that of earlier times, with today’s high expectations on contemporary femininity to constantly combine the practical with the elegant under every conceivable condition of work, life and leisure. And of course, Richard Mille intimately understands these demands on women, leading to his creation of a new ladies’ timepiece, the RM 07-01 Ladies. It represents the perfect mechanical synthesis between Haute Horlogerie elegance and the ‘tough love’ provided by new materials in the creation of a sophisticated 21st century companion for the most demanding of women.
The heart of this new timepiece centers on the novel, in house designed caliber CRMA2, a highly skeletonised automatic movement developed specifically for the RM 07-01. With baseplate and bridges machined from grade 5 titanium, the CRMA2 also includes a variable-inertia balance in order to maintain exacting long-term performance, and a rotor in 5N 18K red gold with variable geometry in order be able to adapt the rotational speed of the rotor according to the owner activity, thus optimizing the winding of the barrel’s high rotation. Its new, RM patented crown construction replaces the traditional system; now no longer connected to the interior of the movement directly, it is thus impossible to dislodge or break, providing extra protection for the rigors of daily life.
This timekeeping architecture allows for an ideal ratio between performance and capability, giving the RM 07-01 a power reserve of about 50 hours, a significant accomplishment for a ladies’ movement. The beauty of the technical mastery within the RM 07-01 can be seen perfectly throughout the skeletonised movement with its balance placed at 6 o’clock, highlighting the care given to the high grade finishing of the movement with its drawn, chamfered and polished surfaces combined with a dramatic, deep black PVD treatment of the plate and bridges.
If the RM 07-01 shines with its extreme mechanical perfection, it also shines with the sensual and curvaceous lines of its tonneau shaped case design and its dial with a gemstone set center field. Together with water droplet shaped indexes, these elements contrast in an exceptionally elegant way with the lines of the movement, fully typifying Richard Mille’s approach to 21st century watchmaking.
A first for the Richard Mille ladies’ collection, the tripartite case of the RM 07-01 is available in a choice of white ATZ ceramic, or warm brown TZP ceramic – both with a red gold caseband, providing beautiful visual contrast as well as an extremely high level of scratch protection – in addition to versions in full 18K red or white gold. With dimensions of 45.66 x 31.40 x 11.85 mm, the RM 07-01 is the perfect size for any occasion.
Richard Mille has bitten into a juicy new realm of graphic, emotional and chromatic expression. The Richard Mille Bonbon Collection comprises 10 models, each produced in an edition of 30 pieces. Together, they articulate a sweet and tangy new vision of watchmaking. Composed of candies, pastries and fruit, these 10 horological treats once again subvert existing conventions, habits and expectations. Drawing on avowed expertise in the area of materials, colour and form, Richard Mille has taken the lid off a candy jar to reveal two kinds of confections for the wrist. Based on three of the brand’s iconic models, the RM 07-03, RM 16-01 and RM 37-01 offer a passage back to childhood with the simple pleasure of slightly regressive and thoroughly tasty memories, to be enjoyed without moderation. ‘The idea was to revisit the existing collections while playing with colour. This allowed me to bring out a pop-inspired sense of fun. In all, we developed a palette of 60 colours for this unisex collection,’ explained Cécile Guenat, artistic director for the collection.
Despite its disruptive appearance, the Richard Mille Bonbon Collection is directly descended from earlier Richard Mille creations. Take colour—the brand is continuously expanding its range. Forays into the spectrum of greens, crimson, yellow and even pink are possible thanks to a mastery of materials, many of them exclusive, that is a Richard Mille specialty. The brand’s understanding of how tinted ceramics behave, expertise in layering materials like Carbon TPT and Quartz TPT and constant improvements to the setting of coloured gemstones are all ingredients in these confectionary recipes, which are singularly imaginative, playful, distinctive and, most importantly, appetising. Lastly, a finely honed eye for detail makes these 10 models stunning graphic compositions that offer a wealth of shades and textures appearing in every component of the watch. The crowns and some of the caseband, for instance, take the shape of a particular treat, such as a cupcake or gelato.
The Sweets collection comprises four models, all with two-tone ceramic cases that set off their grand feu enamel or black-chromed titanium confections. The RM 07-03 Cupcake, RM 07-03 Marshmallow, RM 37-01 Sucette and RM 16-01 Réglisse are colourful and delectable, evoking a whole spectrum of flavours. Better yet, the textures you expect to encounter upon biting into these sweets are conjured visually thanks to a mastery of enamelwork that succeeds in evoking sensations like softness, crunchiness, and fluffiness. The creamy quality of the TZP ceramic case is enhanced by the varied matt and polished effects of elements on the dial. Black, a foundational colour in the technical vocabulary of Richard Mille, is presented in a whole new light here, as a giant roll of liquorice that occupies the entire surface of a dial. Here, the most satisfactory solution for obtaining the liquorice shape of the RM 16-01 was a stamping operation, followed by a black chrome coating that lends this piece its spot-on colour and texture.
The Fruits line is a homage to the very concept of sweet temptation in six delectable flavours: Lemon and Strawberry (RM 16-01 Citron et Fraise), Blueberry and Litchi (RM 07-03 Myrtille et Litchi), Kiwi and Cherry (RM 37-01 Kiwi et Cerise). In addition to colour-gradient cases made of Carbon TPT combined with Quartz TPT of a different hue for each model is an all-new turquoise colour. Painted in acrylics and lacquered by hand, the 3,000 miniature sculptures integrated in these compositions stand out from the dials, turning each one into a sachet full of tiny candies. To further enhance their realism, a ‘sugar coating’ effect was achieved using powdered enamel and the fine sand employed in hourglasses. Tart jelly ribbons, twisty lollipops, candy citrus segments, gumdrops and other surprises are positioned on plates of grade 5 titanium that are machined and skeletonised like horological components.
From velvety marshmallow or custard cream to the crunch of hard candies and lollipops and tangy tartness of citrus quarters… Applying the science of materials and textures to the realm of confectionary, Richard Mille has embarked on a vast collection of delicious and powerfully evocative pieces. Whether in the Sweet or Fruit line, every watch in the Bonbon Collection is mouth-wateringly appetising, and promises a moment of horological extasy.
