READY FOR ANYTHING
Action hero Sylvester Stallone teamed up with watchmaking maverick Roger Dubuis to create a timepiece for the dedicated adventurer, Melissa Twigg writes
Action hero Sylvester Stallone teamed up with Roger Dubuis to create a timepiece for the dedicated adventurer
One man who knows how to conquer a hostile environment is Sylvester Stallone, the actor behind the screen legend John Rambo and an adventurer himself for more than 30 years. No wonder Swiss watchmaker Richard Mille chose to collaborate with “Sly” in creating a timepiece for the ultimate adrenaline junkie.
We first met Stallone in 1976 as tough-but-sensitive boxer Rocky Balboa in the first of the Rocky series, and later as John Rambo in the 1982 thriller First Blood. Richard Mille, the founder of the luxury watch brand and a personal friend of Stallone, loved these films and was determined to incorporate Sly’s on-camera passion into his brand.
The collaboration between the two men began four years ago and culminates in the Richard Mille RM 25-01 Tourbillon Adventure watch, of which there are just 20.
As new technologies make exploration safer than ever, modern-day John Rambos are escaping their sedentary lives and pushing themselves to complete awe-inspiring tasks. This watch will be their ultimate tool.
Stallone has played a central role in designing it. He insisted that the RM 25-01 adopt a round shape and include a compass, a crucial piece of equipment no adventurer should be without. Detachable from the watch, the compass can be placed on a map and has a titanium-encased spirit level that makes it possible to hold it perfectly level to give the most accurate reading of the compass needle.
As its name suggests, the RM 25-01 incorporates a tourbillon escapement and a torque and power reserve indicator. It is offered with two interchangeable Carbon TPT bezels—one bidirectional daytime bezel with a 24-hour scale, and one with cardinal compass points. The movement is designed to reduce weight and increase precision and chronometric reliability. In addition, there is a 24-hour display, which is essential for distinguishing am and pm if the owner is deprived of sunlight for too long. The round case, made of titanium and carbon (indestructible, naturally) with a damascene surface, is water-resistant to 100 metres. The sapphire crystals have an antimagnetic coating to prevent any mutual interference of the movement and the compass. Most impressively of all, a compartment holds water purification tablets that will make a litre of any water safe to drink in 30 to 120 minutes, depending on the level of pollution—serious survivor stuff. Finally, there is a natural rubber camouflage strap and a pin-buckle in grade 5 titanium. Complex, tough and designed for extreme conditions—just like Stallone himself.