Over the years, Richard Mille has always given us enthusiasts a way to undoubtedly remain open-mouthed as we see the models that year after year have been presented by the house.
In any case, the community has been quite interdicted and divided over the years on what are the aspects of the products launched on the market by the house, producing timepieces that differ considerably from what are the canons of classical watchmaking.
There are those who remain steadfast and convinced on the idea that they are remarkable watches, real working tools, and those who stop at the price or aesthetics, calling them “not for everyone” watches because of the considerable presence on the wrist.
A bit of history
Created in 1999, the company is named after its founder: Richard Mille, a French businessman.
In 1998, after working in the watchmaking world for quite some time and leaving his position as sales manager at Moubussin Jewelers, he decided to present his idea for a brand named after him, to Dominique Guenat, an old colleague from another time.
As time went on, the standard of watches produced by the brand became increasingly understood: products characterized by precision, shock resistance up to 10,000 g, use of durable materials such as grade 5 titanium, graphene or carbon, thus ensuring their incredible lightness.
This then also very often goes to justify the price, which for each product rarely falls below 100,000€.
The Talisman
Today, the product we want to talk about is the RM S-14, a watch, which totally goes out of the collective imagination, in fact… you don’t wear it on your wrist!
Unveiled in May this year for the “Only Watch” auction (which has been dedicating its proceeds to raising funds for research and development of treatments for neuromuscular diseases, particularly Duchenne muscular dystrophy, since 2005), the watch comes in a special wooden case that, when opened, shows this “talisman” that instead of a bracelet features an actual necklace.
This is a choice of the house’s engineers, who sought to produce a tribute to Switzerland that celebrates the country’s culture, values and traditions.
To do this, a complete deconstruction and reinterpretation of the tonneau-shaped watch case was undertaken, transforming it into a wearable artifact, thus giving the idea of carrying a real talisman.
The case and the entire process of making the watch had to follow strict guidelines. To create a whole series of stamping and machining operations and several days of adjustments to make the three-part case with its curves first used by Richard Mille, a result that then obviously becomes one of the main features that distinguish at a glance the house’s watches.
The bezel and case back are made of 5N 18K red gold, both satin-finished with hand-polished edges and hand-engraved symbols. The case band is made of grade 5 titanium, and water resistance is claimed to be 50mt. Not much but certainly, who would take a bath with such a piece of jewelry around their neck?
The necklace, on the other hand (the first ever produced by Richard Mille) is made of Briar wood, red gold, titanium, and rhodonite beads, all strung on a metal and rubber cable, with an adjustable push-pull clasp.
The fantastic Richard Mille RM S-14 Talisman Origine sold for approximately 2.4 million euros starting from an estimate of 600,000.00 to 800,000.00 euros. An incredible value that reflects the uniqueness and distinctiveness of the watch. Who knows if we will ever be able to spott it around the lucky owner’s neck.
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