Action Stations
Richard Mille’s RM25- 01 is the ultimate outdoor watch
If a Hollywood action star collaborates with a highconcept watchmaker, what do you end up with? A timepiece fit for Rambo, that’s what.
Actor Sylvester Stallone is a big fan of fine Swiss watches and a buddy of Richard Mille, founder of the eponymous brand. So it comes as no surprise that the latter is dedicating its latest celebrity- crossover timepiece, the RM 25- 01 Tourbillon Adventure, to the all- action actor.
The RM 25- 01 Tourbillon Adventure took four years to develop. The watch, according to Mille, is in sync with his brand’s DNA and, like Stallone’s on- screen character, John Rambo, in the 1982 movie First Blood and its sequels, it is “designed for extreme conditions”. As such, the RM 25- 01 Tourbillon Adventure packs many worldfirst functions that could easily be called into action if it were on Rambo’s wrist.
To start off, it’s huge. Measuring 50.85mm in diameter with a round titanium and carbon TPT case, this watch looks like a futuristic gadget, covered with Rambo- approved markings and indications. Inside the watch is a highly skeletonised, tourbillon- equipped, titanium competition chronograph movement supported by baseplate and bridges machined out of grade 5 titanium. This not only makes the watch lighter but also increases its precision and long- term reliability while reducing energy consumption by 50 percent. The 70- hour power reserve drives an unusual 24- hour display that can distinguish am from pm. The RM 25- 01 Tourbillon Adventure is also equipped with a mainspring torque indicator and winding- crown position indicator.
All these are familiar aspects of Richard Mille timepieces – but the RM 25- 01 Tourbillon Adventure’s outdoor credentials are a game changer. It comes with two detachable titanium bezels which can be swapped to suit the wearer’s needs. One is a bidirectional daytime bezel with 24- hour scale and 360- degree markings. The other is really a compass and comes with a hunter- style carbon TPT cover which can be flipped up or down. The cover has a mirrored back, viewing slot and graduated marker ring. It is coated with antireflective, anti- magnetic sapphire crystal to prevent any interference to the movement and compass. Additionally there is a titanium- cased spirit level at 4 o’clock to indicate if the watch is completely horizontal, helping the wearer to take more accurate readings. When detached, the compass bezel can be mounted on to a plate, which turns it into a map- style compass.
Another arresting feature is a hermetically sealed compartment that can hold up to five water purification tablets, each capable of rendering a litre of water safe to drink in anywhere from half an hour to two hours, depending on pollution levels.
In true Rambo style, the RM 25- 01 Tourbillon Adventure comes with a camouflage- pattern rubber strap and is water resistant to 10 bar. It’s a limited edition of 20 pieces – but, since Stallone has one on his wrist already, there are only 19 still up for grabs.