TECHNICAL PROWESS AND BOLD AESTHETICS

The Star

3 days ago

Inspired by the aquatic realm, each variation of the Richard Mille RM 75-01 Flying Tourbillon Sapphire possesses a unique hue evoking a specific seascape and atmosphere.
Combining the architectural grandeur of gothic art with the captivating flow of water, these watches were meticulously calibrated to elicit an emotional response.
Born of a new challenge the brand set for itself, for the first time ever, the movement was designed and imagined for a sapphire case.
The RM 75-01 Flying Tourbillon Sapphire exists in three distinct expressions, two of which – produced in editions of 10 pieces each – combine clear and coloured sapphire crystal, while the third, crafted entirely of clear sapphire, has been issued in an edition of 15.
A maritime odyssey
The unique hue of each of these references evokes a particular landscape or atmosphere.
Fusing the purity of sapphire with uniquely undersea light effects, each model takes you on a unique voyage.
Fusing the purity of sapphire with uniquely undersea light effects, each model takes you on a unique voyage.
"Being able to use sapphire in multiple colours offered the opportunity to create multiple identities," explains Development and Creation director Cecile Guenat.
Water, a symbol of clarity and movement, provides the guiding light for exploring multiple facets of coloured sapphire.
The model in clear sapphire recalls the surface of waves with its case, while its sea-green rubber strap suggests the seabed and dreamy tropical beaches.
The two other versions have coloured sapphire casebacks: one of these is a lilac pink shade reminiscent of a South Sea twilight; the other is a sapphire blue richly evoking the deep-sea realm.
Completing this colour palette, a meticulously worked crown combines a vivid rubber gasket with a domed cabochon of a precious stone such as white agate or intense pink opal.
Crafted in red gold and set with diamonds, the mechanism is echoed in the flange that frames the movement on the case.
The RM75-01 calibre boasts exceptional precision and reveals an unexpected complexity due to its bold architecture.
An exceptional material
A pioneer in the use of sapphire for cases and components, the brand constantly redefines the standard of excellence in haute horlogerie by exploring this material's technical and aesthetic limits.
Sapphire is widely used in watchmaking today, 13 years ago, however, Richard Mille was the only one to fully grasp its potential for the complete machining of a case.
Since the brand was created in 2001, the principle of visibility has been taken further than ever with the use of sapphire, exceptional material which acts as a filter and lens, softening or intensifying colour, shape and the activity of the mechanism.
The brilliance of sapphire magnifies each detail of the brand's calibres, while subtly capturing light.As in the precision optics and electronics sectors, the Brand uses synthetic sapphire, identical to natural sapphire in terms of chemical composition, physical properties and crystalline structure.
A lilac pink caseback is reminiscent of a South Sea twilight.
However, lab-created sapphire makes possible gem-quality blocks of sufficient size to carve the three constituent parts of a Richard Mille case: bezel, caseband and caseback.
Working with Swiss-based partner Stettler AG, the brand relies on the Kyropoulos process, where the raw material, aluminium oxide, is heated to between 2,000 and 2,050°C in a controlled atmosphere.
Machining sapphire represents a true technical feat. Its extreme hardness — 9 on the Mohs scale, or 2,000 Vickers, just below that of diamond — makes it highly resistant to scratches but allows only micron-level tolerances to ensure the perfect fit of each component.
Working from a block weighing several dozen kilos, extracting a tripartite case requires over 1,000 hours, including 40 days of grinding around the clock.
A third of this time is devoted to polishing, a process made particularly complex by the curves and pillars characteristic of Richard Mille cases.
Producing coloured sapphire makes the process even more complex and delicate, as the metal oxides that colour the crystal lattice must be incorporated with precise timing.
The challenge of synthesising and producing a new sapphire colour involves respecting the temperature conditions which can affect the way the oxides diffuse into the crystal lattice, yielding uneven colour distribution, or result in unwanted hues.
Likewise, growing too quickly can lead to uneven colouring and to the formation of bubbles in the crystal. Reproducing the exact same colour in different blocks is a major challenge, due to the impact of minute variations in growth conditions or in the purity of the ingredients.
The model in clear sapphire recalls the surface of waves with its case, while its sea-green rubber strap suggests the seabed and dreamy tropical beaches.
Attention to detail
Although minimalist in its components, the RM75-01 calibre boasts exceptional precision and reveals an unexpected complexity due to its bold architecture.
Sweeping arcs, omnipresent in this creation, translate fluidity and motion. The decorative elements, such as the cloud-shaped elements at the four corners of the flange, lend a timeless aura while also setting off the overall silhouette.
The flange is styled like a cathedral, a monumental frame in microblasted red gold rests on pillars of satin-polished titanium.
Playing on vivid contrasts between solid and empty space, it imbues the heart of the calibre with light when darkness falls, thanks to touches of SuperLuminova.
The titanium baseplate, practically metallic lacework, firmly holds the wheels with their involute-profile gear teeth, the tourbillon and the barrel.
An absence of upper bridges to hold these elements is what makes them "flying", accentuating the skeleton effect of the movement, while nonetheless ensuring resistance to any situation, a design choice that banishes all excess, strengthening the visual rhythm.
Its bridges reveal ultra-precise craftsmanship that plays with volume and perspective, enhanced by pellucid sapphire and meticulously executed microblasted satin finishes.
As a contrast with the rhodium-treated wheels, the titanium baseplate in PVD is treated in 5N gold, bringing a touch of warmth to the mechanics.
Styled like a cathedral, the 5N red gold flange generates volume.
The highly openworked and minimalist baseplate adopts a multilevel design, forming a triangular structure that associates dynamic energy and aesthetic balance.
Along the side, the minute bridge reveals subtle curves, visible through the caseband at 9 o'clock, while the delicately positioned wheels create an X motif that can be observed from the back, the model's visual signature, as it were.
The ultra-skeletonised movement of the RM 75-01 Flying Tourbillon Sapphire is further enhanced by eschewing a dial, letting the intrinsic beauty and complexity of the movement take center stage.
Two gold cabochons cap the flying barrel, positioned at 12 o'clock, and the flying tourbillon at 6 o'clock. Even the crown, set with 28 brilliant white diamonds, exemplifies meticulous artistry, required numerous hours to complete.
The clear sapphire model features a crown adorned with white agate, while the blue sapphire timepiece showcases a crown embellished with rose opal.