Often considered a rebel in the world of watchmaking, the Richard Mille brand asserts its fiercely innovative attitude with the RM 66 Flying Tourbillon, which proudly flaunts the sign’s horns – the emblematic gesture of an entire generation – a veritable school of thought. Echoing the symbolism of the gesture represented, Richard Mille has conjured up an unconventional architecture for this model, with a flying tourbillon at 12 o’clock and an openwork flange on its ‘Clou de Paris’ studded case.
Inspired by the world of rock music with a flying tourbillon at 12 o’clock and in a limited edition of 50 pieces, the new Richard Mille RM 66 Flying Tourbillon is most certainly one of the most extravagant watches of the collection, flashing for all to see the ‘horns’ hand sign that has symbolized a generation, a school of thought, a state of mind.
The eye is first drawn to the openwork hand in 5N red gold that holds the movement in its fingers. And because Richard Mille obeys no stylistic rules but its own, the hand that appears on this creation is seen through an X-ray. The horns gesture is represented by outstretched index and little fingers, whilst the last phalange of the thumb holding the middle and ring fingers are visible from the back of the watch. For this model, conceived by the Creative and Development Director Cécile Guenat, the five digits of the hand were first milled, then transferred to the master engraver to be perfected by hand. The task of craftmanship was entrusted to Genevan engraver Olivier Vaucher. The protracted and meticulous work of deburring and polishing brings out the contours of the bones and highlights the delicate joints with their micro-blasted finish.
The architecture of the RM66 manual winding calibre showcases a fast-winding barrel providing a 72-hour power reserve positioned at 6 o’clock and the flying tourbillon at 12 o’clock – a first for the brand. To ensure the greatest possible transparency, the grade 5 titanium movement is highly skeletonized. This is possible thanks to a complex mechanical solution rarely employed by Richard Mille to enhance the skeletonization, a flying tourbillon with variable inertia.
Bringing the world of rock’n’roll to life within the RM 66 Flying Tourbillon required 1,500 hours of Research & Development and 9 months of work for the casing team, in fact. The index points, for instance, are shaped like a guitar plectrum, extended by a lancet arch in titanium. The extreme attention to detail is further revealed in the grade 5 titanium crown in the shape of a spider whose gothic-inspired segments embrace a ruby and its circular black rubber gasket. Assembly of this mechanism was quite a challenge. The engraved skullcap offers a nod to the RM 052 Tourbillon Skull. The torque-limiting crown means it automatically disengages when the tension of the barrel is optimal, eliminating any risk of over-winding.
“Between its development and finalization, we spent more than 200 hours on this piece, in addition to the 12 hours required to machine and finish a single crown. Polishing titanium is much more difficult than polishing gold or steel. Not only that, but the polishing also made it difficult to hold the crown without slippage, so we had to use special fixtures to fix the piece from the inside,” explains Julien Boillat, Technical Director for Cases at Richard Mille.
The case plays on the contrast between the apparent roughness of Carbon TPT and the precious sheen of gold. On the grade 5 titanium caseband with satin-finished pillars and polished bevels, 5N red gold plates are inserted. These plates feature a ‘clou de Paris’ pattern, ground down after machining, then hand-polished to restore the sharp edges characteristic of punk belts.
Issued in a limited edition of 50 watches, the RM 66 Flying Tourbillon Rock’n’Roll is an electrifying and dynamic timepiece right down to its finest details, fascinating for its irreverent spirit and a faithful reflection of the brand.
Sticker Price $1,095,000 USD. For more info on Richard Mille click here.
