Richard Mille Unveils The RM 66 Flying Tourbillon Watch

There are few firms that method high-end watchmaking with the identical enjoyable and playful irreverence as Richard Mille. Every thing the model produces is executed to extremely excessive requirements, but a lot of its designs have a sure lighthearted nature to them, even when they’re in the end slightly severe timepieces. If Richard Mille watches have been of lesser high quality and priced throughout the realm of chance for most individuals, there would doubtless be some who would contemplate them to be horological novelties. Nonetheless, it’s in the end onerous to name a watch a mere “novelty” when it options heavy-hitter problems, state-of-the-art supplies, and prices as a lot as a really good home in lots of components of the U.S. Persevering with this theme of daring and barely irreverent designs carried out on the highest potential ranges is the newest launch from Richard Mille — the RM 66 Flying Tourbillon, which is a 50-piece restricted version that represents the model’s tribute to the world of rock and roll music.

The case of the Richard Mille RM 66 Flying Tourbillon follows the identical multi-component curved tonneau design that defines the overwhelming majority of the model’s different fashions, and it measures 42.7mm-wide by 49.94mm lug-to-lug, with an general thickness of 16.15mm. The bezel and caseback are crafted from black Carbon TPT, whereas the center caseband is produced from grade 5 titanium and options brushed pillars with polished bevels.

Set into the middle titanium caseband are 5N crimson gold inserts, which have been given a outstanding “clous de Paris” sample that’s supposed to be paying homage to the studs on punk belts. Curved sapphire crystals with anti-glare therapy are fitted to each the dial aspect of the watch and its caseback, whereas the case itself is held along with 20 titanium spline screws and options two Nitrile gaskets that assist create 50 meters of water resistance.

On the 3 o’clock location is a slightly ornately designed torque-limiting winding crown that routinely disengages when the stress within the mainspring barrel reaches an optimum degree. For the reason that Richard Mille RM 66 Flying Tourbillon is powered by a manually wound motion, this revolutionary function eliminates the opportunity of unintended overwinding and prevents put on and injury to each the stem and mainspring.

The crown itself is constructed from polished grade 5 titanium, and it’s crafted within the form of a spider, with its legs surrounding a black rubber collar and artificial crimson ruby. The tip of the crown will get completed with a small cranium insignia as a delicate nod to the RM 052 Tourbillon Cranium watch, and resulting from its intricate construction, machining and ending simply one in every of these spider-shaped winding crowns takes a full 12 hours to correctly full.

Like most Richard Mille watches, the brand new RM 66 Flying Tourbillon encompasses a largely open-worked aesthetic. Nonetheless, slightly than merely showcasing its motion, your complete inner design relies round an intricate rose gold sculpture. Sitting entrance and heart contained in the watch is a human skeleton hand that’s crafted from 5N crimson gold, with its index and pinky fingers outstretched to type the favored rock and roll “horns” hand gesture.

The three-dimensional skeleton hand primarily holds the elements of the interior motion, and its three non-outstretched fingers will be seen greedy the opposite aspect of the motion when seen by its sapphire show caseback. As a way to obtain their intricate form and sensible texture, the assorted elements of the hand are first machine milled earlier than being handed off to grasp Genevan engraver Olivier Vaucher, who provides element and finishes them by hand earlier than giving them a micro-blasted end.

Surrounding the inside perimeter of the crystal is a rehaut produced from grade 5 titanium with a black galvanic therapy, and fitted to this part are luminous hour markers that reach from it on golden lancet arches for a extremely sculptural show from each the back and front aspect views of the watch. The hour markers themselves are completed with green-glowing lume and seem within the form of guitar picks, whereas the pair of centrally mounted skeletonized baton arms additionally function luminous ideas for added visibility at the hours of darkness.

The highest of the rehaut options the “Richard Mille” identify in white letters, whereas the compulsory “Swiss Made” signature seems in its standard place on the 6 o’clock location. The one different textual content on the dial aspect of the watch is the small “RM66” badge that extends from below the rehaut between the 7 o’clock and eight o’clock hour markers. To maintain the visible emphasis on the ornate case and sculptural skeletonized show, the RM 66 Flying Tourbillon is fitted with a easy black rubber strap in Richard Mille’s signature ventilated styling.

Like most skeletonized watches, the motion performs a outstanding aesthetic function within the general look of the Richard Mille RM 66 Flying Tourbillon. Nonetheless, as a result of the golden hand sculpture is the true focus of the watch, the motion itself has been designed in such a way to comply with the form of the hand and create a most quantity of open house surrounding it. Formally referred to as the Caliber RM66, the manual-wind motion runs at a frequency of 21,600vph (3 Hz), whereas providing customers an influence reserve of roughly 72 hours. Moreover, the Cal. RM66 options its mainplate and bridges in grade 5 titanium, together with a fast-rotating barrel to cut back inner mainspring adhesion and create an excellent delta curve to maximise efficiency and regularity.

Positioned on the 12 o’clock location is a flying tourbillon with a variable inertia steadiness, and the brand new RM 66 represents the primary time that Richard Mille has created a motion with this 180-degree inverted format that locations its tourbillon on the prime of the dial. The tourbillon cage is just mounted at one finish of its axis, which eliminates the necessity for an higher bridge, and this offers the RM 66’s flying tourbillon the looks of floating in house because it dances and rotates above the gold skeletonized hand that clutches the remainder of the motion in its fingers.

Moderately than utilizing a conventional lever regulator, the steadiness fitted to the Richard Mille RM 66 Flying Tourbillon incorporates a variable inertia design, which gives superior resistance to shocks and higher chronometric outcomes over prolonged durations of time. Lastly, finishing the flying tourbillon is a small cap on the heart that options the identical cranium insignia because the one on the winding crown for a delicate memento mori and a cohesive general look.

Even probably the most humble Richard Mille watches are six-figure assertion items, and when you think about that the brand new RM 66 options each a flying tourbillon and an intricate skeletonized hand sculpture produced from stable 5N crimson gold, you possibly can just about assure that this watch will likely be slightly costly. With an official retail worth of $1,095,000 USD and manufacturing restricted to 50 items worldwide, the Richard Mille RM 66 Flying Tourbillon is likely one of the costlier and lavish fashions from the model’s present assortment, though it’s nonetheless priced beneath different premium releases, such because the RM 88 Smiley and the ultra-thin RM UP-01 Ferrari watch. That stated, the Richard Mille RM 66 Flying Tourbillon nonetheless prices over 1,000,000 {dollars}, and its mega-expensive price ticket is arguably simply as a lot of a press release because the solid-gold skeleton hand throwing up the rock and roll “horns” salute on the heart of the dial. For extra data on the Richard Mille RM 66 Flying Tourbillon, please go to the model’s web site.