At the beginning of 2023,RICHARD MILLEThat is to show a rebellious face, withThe new RM66 floating tourbillon watchThe shocking debut reminds people of the hot rock spirit of the 1960s, leading the new trend of thinking and aesthetics, and praising a way of life that breaks the rules.
The first thing that catches the eye is the palm shape made of 5N red gold and hollowed out. Holding the movement in the palm, the metal gift gesture of “devil horn” is dazzling. Just as RICHARD MILLE has always been unique in style, the palm in this work presents an X-ray-like perspective effect, paying tribute to the RM052 skeleton tourbillon watch, and always reminding people of the awe of death and the importance of fully enjoying the present.
The RM 66 floating tourbillon watch was conceived by Cécile Guenat, creative and development director of RICHARD MILLE, inspired by the metal gesture of the “devil horn”: the index finger and little finger are stretched out, and you can see it from the back of the watch. Press the middle finger and ring finger down to the thumb. After the five fingers on the hand are milled, they are transferred to the hands of the engraver for further manual production. This engraving process was completed by the famous Geneva engraver Olivier Vaucher. After a long and meticulous trimming and polishing, the outline of the phalanx is clearly visible, and the micro-sandblasted surface treatment highlights the delicate craftsmanship of the joints.
The tourbillon of the RM 66 watch is located at 12 o’clock. This design is the first time for RICHARD MILLE. This watch is equipped with a floating tourbillon with a variable inertia balance wheel, which enhances the hollow effect, and at the same time prevents the upper bridge from affecting the ethereal inspiration of the movement, so as to obtain better visual effects. Such an adventurous design is very challenging, because RICHARD MILLE’s impact resistance test is one of the most rigorous tests in the watchmaking industry. This unconventional design provides valuable space for the ‘ballet’ performance of the 180-degree rotating tourbillon movement.
The RM 66 floating tourbillon watch that brings rock to life requires considerable technical ingenuity; in fact, the preliminary research and development work took 1,500 hours, and the case team took another 9 months to complete the production. For example, the time scale points are like guitar picks, and are extended by the pointed design made of titanium alloy. Despite the challenges of working with titanium on this piece, we first polished and sanded the aforementioned components to a perfect micro-blasted finish. Finally, each hour marker is screwed to the titanium alloy bezel. Polishing the beveled edges of the bezel before the black plating is also an extremely delicate job.
RICHARD MILLE’s extreme pursuit of details is also reflected in the production of the spider-shaped crown made of grade 5 titanium alloy. The gothic crown component on the round black rubber gasket is inlaid with a ruby. big challenge. The engraved skull pattern is once again a tribute to the RM 052 skeleton tourbillon watch. When the barrel tension is optimal, the torque-limiting crown is automatically disengaged, thus avoiding the risk of overwinding.
The three-layer barrel-shaped case of the RM 66 floating tourbillon watch is fully curved, which is ergonomic and more comfortable to wear. The production process is complex and requires an extremely high level of quality control. The rough style of the Carbon TPT® carbon fiber material used in the case forms a strong contrast with the precious luster of red gold. The middle case in grade 5 titanium has satin-finished columns, polished bevels and inlaid 5N red gold trim. This red-gold plate with the “Clou de Paris” motif is machined and polished before being hand-polished to preserve the avant-garde feel of punk belts.
In the RM 66 floating tourbillon watch, the ultimate detail control is the practice of the brand’s watchmaking concept. And it shows the unconventional and proudly out of the ordinary side, which is the best embodiment of the brand image and pursuit.
