THE FINEST HOURS
At Richard Mille, watch design goes beyond timekeeping
The passage of time has long played a role in art, from the melting pocket watches in Salvador Dalí’s The Persistence Of Memory (1931) to the montage of film and television images of timepieces in the video artist Christian Marclay’s acclaimed installation The Clock (2010). Today, art also plays a significant role in time thanks to the Swiss watchmaker Richard Mille. For him, watches are a means of creative expression, rather than just tools for timekeeping.
Mille’s namesake marque, founded in 2001 with his good friend Dominique Guenat, is inextricably linked with the art world. An integral part of the group is Les Editions Cercle d’Art, the Parisian publishing house that represents a vital moment in modern art, having collaborated with major 20thcentury figures such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque.
The brand has also worked with contemporary creatives, such as the graffiti artist Cyril Phan (also known as Cyril Kongo) and the dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied. Phan used a specially developed micro airbrush to spray-paint the small surface of the RM 68-01; on the back, the baseplate resembles a splash of paint, while on the front, the movement bridges evoke gestural brushstrokes. These partnerships see timepieces turned into canvases for self-expression.
Last year marked the start of another fruitful creative collaboration, this time with the world’s principal platform for modern and contemporary art: Frieze. The Richard Mille lounge at this month’s Frieze Masters in London’s Regent’s Park will highlight the brand’s focus on visual and horological arts, with a striking installation of watch parts displayed as miniature sculptures. Each component features complex shapes that have been handembellished, further emphasising the watchmaker’s craftsmanship. ‘It’s about accentuating the artistry of the watch,’ says the Richard Mille horologist and spokesman Theodore Diehl. ‘The in– side of a watch is a three-dimensional playground for artistic expression.’ The company’s collection of more than 80 models is celebrated for its opulent materials and precise clockwork. Each distinctive piece juxtaposes timeless methods, such as enamelling, with contemporary designs and function. The rectangular RM 020 pocket watch, for example, combines 18th-century horological values with 21st-century equipment: it is a modern update of a golden-age classic, with a baseplate made from carbon nanofiber, originally used in US Air Force jets. Meanwhile, the manually wound RM 031 features a highly advanced regulating mechanism that makes it the most accurate watch ever made. As well as looking sharp, you’ll never be late again. Richard Mille is at Frieze Masters (www.frieze.com/fairs/friezemasters) in London from 3-6 October. Visit www.richardmille.com