The result of a collaboration that started four years ago culminated yesterday as Richard Mille himself presented the watch designed in collaboration with Sylvester Stallone at a casual lunch in Los Angeles, California. Priced at almost one million USD the new RM 25-01 Tourbillon Adventure is available in a limited edition of 20 pieces and exclusively sold at Richard Mille boutiques worldwide. In the words of Richard Mille himself: "The RM 25-01 is like no watch that has ever existed before. Like Sylvester Stallone himself, it is completely unfettered. Its development was especially slow and painstaking, and as an object it is completely in sync with the brand: extreme, designed for extreme conditions, useful, sophisticated and complex, yet unbelievably tough—the ultimate timepiece."
Sylvester Stallone is, of course, Rambo —and vice versa. Just as the Expendables saga, is a savvy blend of muscle and testosterone. But that’s not all. Stallone is an actor, director, producer and huge international star, as only Hollywood makes them. More surprisingly, he is also—and has been for a very long time—an artist. As a painter, he has even been shown at the Nice Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. And of course, he is also a major collector of art and watches —often of very impressive size. In this instance, the case diameter of the new Richard Mille RM 25-01 Tourbillon Adventure is a whopping 50.85 mm.
With its hitherto unheard-of functionalities that go to the very heart of the watch, the RM 25-01 could easily be imagined on John Rambo’s wrist. Truly a horological UFO, this timepiece is, as Sylvester Stallone says: "Ready for action." The goal of the technical approach adopted by the new Richard Mille RM 25-01 Tourbillon Adventure was to provide a tool that would allow explorers and adventurers to get around safely, wherever they might be. Stallone has always had a distinct preference for imposing wristwatches. Many noticed the Richard Mille RM 032 on a red strap that he wore throughout The Expendables, which he also directed.
It was thus incumbent on the RM 25-01 to adopt the round shape of the former, perfect for accurate reading of the time and suitable for housing a compass, a crucial piece of equipment no adventurer should be without, which Stallone specially requested. In terms of movement, the calibre RM25-01 tourbillon is Richard Mille’s signature technicity at its best.
Its baseplate and bridges, machined out of grade 5 titanium, effectively support a mechanism that combines a tourbillon complication and the complexity of a new ‘competition’ chronograph movement. It took the brand’s engineers several months of work to optimize the calibre. In the end, they successfully reduced its weight while increasing its precision and long-term chronometric reliability.
The overall reduction in inertia goes hand in hand with a 50 percent lower energy consumption. The 70-hour power-reserve, visible using the coupling and function indicators, drives an unusual 24-hour display, essential for distinguishing 'am' and 'pm' should the viewer be deprived of sunlight. The round case showcases a combination of titanium and Carbon TPT, the indestructible composite whose damascened surface has become something of a brand signature, and which significantly reduces the overall weight of the watch.
Water resistant to 100 meters, the RM 25-01 comes with two interchangeable bezels. The first is a compass in grade 5 titanium with a DLC coating that has both a fixed and a rotating bezel. Its bayonet mount makes it quick and easy to fix on the case. The Carbon TPT® cover has a mirrored back and a slot at 12 o’clock to increase precision of sightings with the compass needle.
Its sapphire crystals have a multilayer anti-reflective treatment, as well as an antimagnetic coating to prevent any mutual interference of the movement and compass. A spirit level located at 4 o’clock makes it possible to check that the watch is perfectly horizontal
for better readings. Detached from the watch, the compass may be affixed to a plate made of Carbon TPT®. Ideal for orientating, this configuration provides—among other things—lines indicating the direction to take when following a course on a map.
The compass bezel may be switched out by the wearer for a bidirectional bezel in Carbon TPT® and titanium, with a 24-hour scale, a 360° graduated disc, and indications for the cardinal directions. No calculations are required—all that’s needed is to face the sun with the hour hand and turn the bezel so the local time is indicated on its 24-hour scale—the wearer can then identify North, South, East and West in either hemisphere. At 2 o’clock, a hermetic compartment in grade 5 titanium can hold water purification tablets that make a liter of any water safe to drink in 30 to 120 minutes, depending on the level of pollution.
In keeping with the spirit of adventure that emanates from this watch, designed with ‘Sly’ Stallone, a sculptural strap in natural rubber sporting a camouflage motif and a strong pin-buckle in grade 5 titanium keep the ergonomic curves of this imposing timepiece.
So far and without even having to peruse the watch in person, we can already say that this is the least appealing watch ever released by Richard Mille. Furthermore, this timepiece is just filled with useless gimmicks and who in its right mind will ever embark in an exploring adventure wearing a Richard Mille tourbillon watch that is close to one million dollars to be used as a survival device. For that purpose, Bear Grylls' Bremont will have you covered. This new watch is available in a limited edition of 20 pieces.
Sticker Price $983,000 USD. For more information on Richard Mille click here.
