Complicated Love
Women want haute horlogerie pieces to call their own, and Richard Mille continues to deliver with two exciting new models from their signature RM 07-01 collection.
The myth that women do not appreciate complicated watches has long been retired. Sure, women do love beautiful things, as exemplified by their continued fascination with jewellery watches and heritage timepieces, but the new millenium has shown a steady uptick in their interest in complicated movements and horological wizardry; the very essence of haute horlogerie. And who says beauty and technology can’t intermingle?
Richard Mille is a master at pairing luxurious elegance with high-tech innovation. It was 2005 when the watchmaking innovator launched their very first ladies’ watches, the RM 007 Automatic. Over the years, the watchmaker has celebrated women through numerous milestones, from the appointment of Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh as brand ambassador in 2010 to declaring 2014 as Year of the Woman with the introduction of key female-focused models the likes of the RM 07-01 and RM 037 in-house automatic calibres, the RM 19-01 Tourbillon as well as a tribute to their very own with the limited edition RM 51-01 Tourbillon Michelle Yeoh.
This year, the RM 07-01 collection boasts two exciting new models to delight horology fans the world over: the gem-set RM 07-01 Automatic Starry Night, and the RM 07-01 Automatic with a new open-link bracelet arrayed in gold and Carbon TPT.
Both models showcase the beauty, flexibility and strength of Carbon TPT (thin ply technology). A high-performance material more commonly used in yachting, Formula One and in the Richard Mille men’s collection, Carbon TPT entices with its moiré sheen and ripple-like surface and impresses with its light yet strong qualities. Arresting to look at while also offering optimal protection to a timepiece’s movement, the material is now becoming more present in the brand’s ladies’ collection, interpreted in more feminine expressions through creative pairings with other materials without compromising on the distinctive Richard Mille DNA.
As its name suggests, the RM 07-01 Automatic Starry Night takes you to the heavens with its extraordinary gem-setting of 181 diamonds against black Carbon TPT to evoke the twinkling splendour of the night sky. Exemplary of Richard Mille’s adroitness at marrying cutting-edge materials with meticulous almost intimate stone-setting expertise, the RM 07-01 Automatic Starry Night employs Carbon TPT on both its iconic tonneau-shaped case—a Richard Mille signature—as well as on its sporty strap, the latter an exclusive reserved just for the ladies’ collection.
The RM 07-01 Automatic Starry Night is a true feat in craftsmanship. The bezel and dial showcase a scatter of diamonds in a prong setting to better emulate its celestial inspiration, the precious stones gracefully framing and thus highlighting the sensuous profile of the tonneau case. But unlike gold that is more pliable for an artisan to manipulate, Carbon TPT is more resistant and thus require specialist CNC machines equipped with diamond bits to prepare the mitraillage for setting. Additionally, to hold each of the 181 diamonds in place, handpolished prongs in 5N red gold have to be produced separately then later embedded into the many stone settings (of varying diameters, mind) on the bezel and case. The result is poetry on your wrist.
For something a tad more understated but equally thrilling, the new RM 07-01 Automatic’s main attraction presents an entirely new take on the open-link bracelet. Each handfinished link is comprised of interwoven Carbon TPT and 5N red gold, complemented by a caseband in similar 5N red gold. The chain link bracelet lends a balance to the timepiece, between watch and jewellery, with its suppleness and extreme strength, and also its aesthetic beauty.
True to the original, the RM 07-01 Automatic Starry Night and RM 07-01 Automatic possess every one of the technical characteristics that have forged the reputation of the RM 07-01 in the first place. The ultimate expression of style and substance, both of the new Richard Mille models are driven by the in-house Calibre CRMA2, a skeletonised automatic movement with hours, minutes and a variable-geometry rotor with a power reserve of 50 hours. Architectural and elegant, ergonomic and innovative, these beauties are proof that Richard Mille respects women enough to continually offer them unparalelled haute horlogerie novelties that they can call their own.