When it comes to Richard Mille, nothing is customary and ordinary: from the materials, specially designed and developed to meet the strictest tolerances, to the shapes that are anything but classic. If I had to define Richard Mille’s core business in a nutshell I would say that he produces extreme watches for extreme conditions, even if in reality it is not that simple.
Richard Mille timepieces undoubtedly have a strong personality, so much so that they are recognizable at first glance; a desired quality that few fashion houses can afford.
The captivating and overwhelming design typical of the brand is not for everyone, and it certainly is not a watch for all occasions. However, Richard Mille has carved out a specific clientele, who in addition to appreciating the incredible efficiency of these timepieces, made them wearable watches even in the most ordinary situations.
In short, Richard Mille has been able to break the mold of traditional watchmaking, becoming in effect a champion maison. The model that we are going to discover today is apparently one of the most “simple”, but which hides within it the authentic spirit of Richard Mille, in all his facets: we are talking about the RM 67-02.
Richard Mille: the philosophy
Certainly RM has been able to create a very strong image of itself, despite being a very young maison. Born in 2001 from an idea of the homonymous founder, Richard Mille immediately communicated his personal vision of watchmaking; a vision that has made it one of the most recognizable and desirable brands ever.
From the first model introduced in 2001, the RM 001 Tourbillon, you can discover the three characteristics common to each Richard Mille creation: ergonomics, technology and ambition. RM has always aimed to create comfortable watches, exceptionally light, with a sporty nature: the founder, in fact, took inspiration directly from the automotive world, both for design and for technologies and processes.
Richard Mille’s watches are undoubtedly advanced in the materials and processing techniques used. From a watchmaking point of view, we can recognize important complications in several RM timepieces, such as split-seconds chronographs and tourbillons; from a purely technical point of view, very often we find components whose construction is anything but trivial, such as sapphire glass or carbon fiber dials and bridges.
Finally, we cannot fail to notice the desire to create an avant-garde timepiece, without compromise and without sparing any expense. Each Richard Mille watch is a concentrate of ingenuity and audacity, which can take shape and concreteness thanks to their enviable savoir-faire.
All these characteristics can be found in the RM 67-02, a timepiece in full Richard Mille style.
The Richard Mille RM 67-02 Extra-Flat
Although not equipped with intriguing complications, the RM 67-02 is a timepiece that is anything but trivial, as it perfectly embodies the concept of a “sports watch”: light, resistant and reliable, studied and designed to excel in every aspect.
Born as the natural evolution of the RM 67-01, this Richard Mille 67-02 takes on even more character and improves on its predecessor in several respects.
Starting from the outside, the RM typical tonneau case is made of Quartz TPT® or Carbon TPT®, two composite materials obtained through processes studied by Richard Mille itself, which in addition to being extremely tenacious and at the same time light, give the case a very interesting damask effect.
The skeletonized dial is made starting from a very thin titanium plate only four tenths of a millimeter thick; it is then finely worked in order to recall the geometries of the underlying movement. The dial will then be painted and finished by hand.
Its in-house CRMA7 movement is a self-winding 25-jewel caliber, 3.40mm thick; oscillates at a frequency of 4 Hz (28800 vibrations per hour), and is equipped with a power reserve of 50 hours. Each bridge, each screw and each wheel is finished manually; techniques such as anglage and DLC (Diamond Like Coating) treatment give the movement a unique character.
In addition, the movement is the result of numerous studies and research in the mechanical field with the aim of increasing the efficiency of the caliber, such as a better profile of the gear teeth and a charging barrel that rotates faster, with the aim to improve the performance of the watch.
The bridges like the plate are skeletonized and made of grade 5 titanium, a material that guarantees lightness and resilience. The strap is also in line with the nature of the watch: high elasticity and perfect comfort, thanks to the absence of seams.
In short, a very light and very thin timepiece (with a thickness of 7.8 millimeters and a weight of only 32 grams, making it the lightest watch of the brand), capable of assisting with efficiency even in the most competitive occasions, without sacrificing character and a inimitable design.
The RM 67-02: the versions
Thanks to its deeply sporting spirit, the Richiard Mille 67-02 has been made in special versions dedicated to various celebrities from the world of sports. The main feature of these editions are the colors of the watch, which recall those of the athlete’s flag, paying homage to his country of origin.
Among the editions we remember the one created for the French alpine skier Alexis Pinturault, winner of two Olympic silver and one bronze: the dominant colors are precisely the white of the Quartz TPT® case, the red of the crown and the blue of the strap, typical of the flag. French.
Another edition is dedicated to the South African sprinter Wayde Van Niekerk, Olympic champion of the 400 meters flat at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The predominant color of this watch is green, both in the strap and in the very special Quartz TPT® case with green and yellow stratifications. The titanium dial is painted in the colors of the South African flag.
The version dedicated to the French rally driver Sébastien Ogier, world rally champion from 2013 to 2016, is similar to the one made for Pinterault, with the case made this time in Carbon TPT®, with colors tending to black / gray. The dial, on the other hand, is identical to that of the Pinturault edition, with the colors of the French flag.
Richard Mille also commemorated the reigning high jump champion Mutaz Essa Barshim from Qatar, obtaining a version of the RM 67-02 dedicated to him. The Quartz TPT® case recalls the colors of the Qatari flag, with layers in white and garnet red, the same colors used for the dial.
Finally, how can we forget the famous edition dedicated to the Ferrari Formula 1 driver, Charles Leclerc, who has become even more known for having been the subject of a mugging, which took place in Viareggio on Monday of the Angel this year. Stolen directly from the driver’s wrist, the RM 67-02 Charles Leclerc was found last week after being sold by the perpetrators to a Spanish businessman.
This edition, whose prototype was auctioned at Christie’s last November for 2.100.000,00 CHF, has a white Quartz TPT® case and a red strap. The dial is also red and white, the colors of the flag of the Principality of Monaco, the native nation of Charles Leclerc.
Final remarks
The RM 67-02 is a unique timepiece that perfectly embodies Richard Mille’s philosophy. Personally, I have always found the aesthetics of this brand too bold for my tastes, but analyzing this timepiece in more detail I had to change my mind.
The level of engineering and technological innovation of this watch is astounding, Richard Mille has been able to create an object that knows how to communicate its full potential: at first glance it is immediately clear that it is not a trivial watch, giving the impression of really being ” extreme”.
We at IWS are thrilled to know how mechanical watchmaking has been able to work its way up to incredible levels of efficiency and resistance, and this RM 67-02 is a clear and striking example of this. We can only hope to see other glorious goals achieved by watchmaking, unthinkable goals for something as delicate and precise as watchmaking mechanics.
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