Designed for Alain Prost —Formula One World Champion in four occasions—, who became a cyclist and whom happens to also be a close friend to Richard Mille, the new Richard Mille RM 70-01 Tourbillon Alain Prost was designed with cyclist in mind. Especially created to be worn on the right hand, the unusual curved shape of its case along with the position of the winding crown, allows for exceptionally comfortable wear of the watch while holding a bicycle's handlebar. This new 30-piece limited edition watch with a price tag close to one million dollars is one of the most unique looking RMs and a watch where even our live pictures don't do enough justice. If you really want to pass judgement about the new RM 70-01 Alain Prost, you need to hold and peruse one in person.
The Case & Strap
Sporting a 49.48 mm case in black carbon TPT that combines tonneau, rectangular and asymmetrical shapes the curved design of the case ensures the greatest possible comfort when worn on the right wrist, but is also optimized for exceptional readability of the time when gripping the handlebars of a bicycle. The new RM 70-01 is equipped with a vented red rubber strap this time with curved perforations following the case design and fitted with a titanium pin buckle —a very unusual thing as Richard Mille is well known for their signature double-folding spring clasp.
The Dial & Pushers
The dial, featuring a tourbillon at 6 o'clock and what appears to be an odometer at 12 o'clock was fully designed with the world of cycling in mind. From the titanium allen-wrench type screws that secure the bridges, to the barrel ratchet which recalls the design of forged wheel spokes and the tourbillon cage and dynamometric crown that evoque a bicycle’s pedal, the look of this watch is extremely industrial and sporty. Additionally, the dial includes a relatively small 70-hour power reserve indicator at 5 o'clock with red, orange and yellow zones.
What looks like an odometer at 12 o'clock is in reality just a display that can be set by the user by pressing to pushers on either side of the case. These bright yellow numbers on the new Richard Mille RM 70-01 Alain Prost display the total distance ridden by the owner after being set by the owner. To set the five-digit counter, the pusher at 2 o’clock needs to be pressed in order to select one of the 5 rollers of the 'odometer'.
Once a roller is selected, the user needs to press the black pusher located at 10 o’clock, to advance the chosen roller by one from 0 to 9. The only effort required, is for the user to add up the day’s distance to the prior total he had entered on the display. The total number of kilometers displayed can go as far as 99,999 as there are only 5 digits to be entered.
The Movement
The Richard Mille calibre RM70-01 is a manual wound 32-jewel movement that is much more complicated than it appears. As the first pusher activates the selection of a roller, the selection fork aligns to allow the second pusher to incrementally rotates the selected roller. In order to avoid accidental manipulations, the complication has been fitted with a neutral position that thanks to a spring-lock, the selection fork will be lined up straight, with an arrow at 2 o’clock pointing to N as visual confirmation that the mechanism is locked. The movement provides a power reserve of 70 hours when fully wound.
On the Wrist & Pricing
On the wrist, the new Richard Mille RM 70-01 Tourbillon Alain Prost wears slightly big and somewhat clunky but extremely light thanks to its case construction. After putting it on the scale, the new RM 70-01 Tourbillon Alain Prosthas a total weight of only 98 grams including the strap and buckle. Designed to be worn on the right hand so that the curve on the left caseband follows the curved created by your wrist while holding the handlebars of a bicycle, the watch comes with incredible wrist presence and a very manly look.
Now, for those of you not wanting to wear the watch the way it was designed, the watch could also be worn on the left hand as long as you won't be riding a bicycle with the watch on your wrist. Just remember that if you do decide to get on your bike with the watch on your left wrist, the winding crown will be digging on your wrist as soon as you get on that bike and hold on to the handlebars.
Along with the watch, each buyer will receive a bespoke road cycle developed by Alain Prost and Richard Mille in partnership with the prestigious Italian bike maker Colnago, these individually numbered bicycles are made by hand and painted in Richard Mille's colors.
Sticker Price $815,500 USD. For more info on Richard Mille click here.
