17 Feb Richard Mille – RM 07-04 Automatic Sport
Richard Mille presented its first women’s sports watch in the collection, the new RM 07-04 Automatic Sport.
The wristwatch comes in six colourful variations with exclusive materials that define a technical yet sophisticated look.
The 30.50 x 44.95 x 10.35 mm case of the RM 07-04 is made from Carbon TPT for one watch, the black one, and from Quartz TPT for the other five watches dressed in cream white, salmon pink, dark blue, mauve or green.
Their damascene surface displays totally unique striations, as they are composed of multiple layers of parallel filaments obtained by dividing carbon fibres or silica threads.
Quartz TPT fibres are generally used for very high-performance applications due to their resistance to high temperatures, their strength and their transparency to electromagnetic waves. Fibres are aligned in layers no thicker than 45 microns and saturated in resins developed specially for Richard Mille.
These layers are then stacked using an automatic positioning system that changes the orientation of the fibre between each layer by 45°. After being heated to 120°C and subjected to a pressure of 6 bars, they are machined on a CNC machine at Richard Mille’s manufacturing facilities. Carbon TPT is made by an identical process, but from carbon fibers threads.
The complete case construction is water-resistant to 50 metres / 165 feet thanks to two Nitrile O-rings, and is assembled with 20 spline screws in grade 5 titanium and 316L stainless steel washers.
Lightweight – at 36 grams including its Velcro strap – the new RM 07-04 Automatic Sport is as pleasant to wear on a daily basis as it is suited to intense sporting activity also thanks to the intrinsic properties of the materials used: not just ultra light but also non-allergenic and extremely resistant to shocks, UV rays or wear.
The creation of the RM 07-04 Automatic Sport required three years of development in order to develop a very compact and skeletonised in-house automatic movement, guaranteeing high shock resistance, integrating the exterior perfectly into the movement while leaving its workings visible.
To ensure the rigidity of the assembly, the baseplate and bridges are made of grade 5 titanium, supplemented by a black PVD treatment. To earn its sports credentials, the movement underwent a series of rigorous tests to confirm its resistance to 5,000 g’s of acceleration, a major feat for the most compact of all the calibres developed by Richard Mille.
The function selector complication, emblematic of the brand, prevents stress on the winding stem. Combined with a Quartz TPT pusher at 4 o’clock, a simple press allows the user to choose between the neutral (N), winding (W) or time setting (H) positions. The hand at 5 o’clock indicates the chosen function on a flange in grade 5 titanium.
- Model: Richard Mille RM 07-04 Automatic Sport
- Case/dial: 30.5mm width x 44.95mm length x 10.35mm thickness, Quartz TPT® case, skeletonised dial
- Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
- Movement: RM calibre CRMA8, automatic, 27 jewels
- Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Power reserve: 50h
- Functions: Hours, minutes
- Price/availability: $185,000 (approx. £153,000)
Including polished angles, milled sections, micro-blasted sinks and satin-finished surfaces, the meticulous finishes are made by hand and demonstrate a a no-compromise approach to watchmaking.
curated by ozzie small
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