SUGAR RUSH
Richard Mille explores its playful and creative side with a range of timepieces themed on treats from one’s childhood
L ong known for its hyper-technical timepieces, Richard Mille’s latest novelties came like a bolt from the blue with their bright splashes of Technicolor and playful yet nostalgic subject matter. Meet the Bon Bon collection, which the brand unveiled earlier this year at Sihh – incidentally its last outing at the trade show. Consisting of 10 existing models that have been reinterpreted and given new guises, each Bon Bon timepiece is themed on a specific sweet treat and belongs to either the Fruit or Sweet sub-line.
Under Cécile Guenat, the collection’s artistic director, the 10 timepieces’ designs have been reinterpreted to play with colours, shapes and textures, all to conjure up lifelike facsimiles of their subject matters. These effects are reproducible thanks to Richard Mille’s extensive technical vocabulary in material science. The rm 07-03 Marshmallow, for instance, uses enamelling to evoke the soft, fluffy texture of its eponym by creating a dial using colourful enamelled cells with raised, convex surfaces. Elsewhere, a black chrome coating is used to produce “liquorice”, while fine sand and enamel are combined to reproduce the sugar coatings of sweets.
Existing fans of Richard Mille who have grown used to the technical look of its “usual” watches may need to suspend their judgement until they’ve seen these timepieces in person, because they are, admittedly, a radical departure from the past looks-wise. This does not in any way diminish their value though – these are still rm timepieces through and through.
This may just be the collection that endears the brand to an entirely new segment (or generation) of aficionados. Richard Mille, meanwhile, has proven its ability not to take things too seriously. It’s a rare trait, and perhaps a good reminder for each Bon Bon timepiece’s wearer as well.