First used by Audemars Piguet on watches like the Royal Oak Offshore Schumacher and the Royal Oak Offshore Jarno Trulli, Cermet was first used by AP on the Jarno Trulli in 2010 and then an all three iterations of the Schumi. Cermet is a very advanced composite typically used in creating heat shields for space shuttles and its name is the result of the contraction of the words “ceramic” and “metal”. Cermet is anti-corrosive and extremely hard with a hardness rating of 2,360 Vickers.
Almost as hard as diamond’s 2,400 Vickers makes Cermet a judicious choice for use in bezels that are very exposed to scratches while maintaining overall lightness. Cermet’s physical properties are widely recognized, hence its frequent use in ballistic protection, external aerospace fuselage components, and in the brakes of competition vehicles. This material in watchmaking combines the lightness of titanium and the hardness of diamond.
The new Richard Mille RM 11-05 Cermet Flyback Chronograph GMT is available in a limited edition of 140 pieces and it marks the first use of Cermet for the brand. The combination of a Carbon TPT caseband, a grade 5 titanium case back, and a grey Cermet bezel helps to significantly reduce the weight of the RM 11-05. The added grey Cermet is adapted to the pure aerodynamic lines of the iconic case, which measures 50 x 42.70 mm with a total thickness of 16.15 mm.
The Cermet owes its unique grey color to the combination of a metallic zirconium matrix with high-performance ceramic inserts. Its implementation required a degree of rigor commensurate with that needed to create the materials themselves. Heating and pressing together very different kinds of materials at a high temperature without altering their respective qualities was a challenge. It proved even more difficult to obtain a homogeneous whole, as nickel and cobalt, which are normally used in this family of hard materials, were excluded in order to adhere to REACH standards, which ensure safety in the production and use of chemicals in the European industry.
The construction of the automatic movement gives pride of place to titanium. Its functions notably include a GMT display that can be simply adjusted thanks to a push-piece at 9 o’clock, a 24-hour flyback chronograph, and an annual calendar.
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