The brilliant Swiss watchmakers from Richard Mille have been pretty busy lately, trying to make us daydream once again about some of the most impressive timekeeping marvels we’ve ever seen. Today is one of those days when we’re all in for a treat.
The brand’s latest timepiece, the Richard Mille RM 53-02 Tourbillon Sapphire is part of a very limited series of just 10 pieces. And it’s not just another take on the company’s impressive RM-02 watch. It’s a real beauty, that comes with a world-first: a triple-curved sapphire tonneau case which posed quite a challenge for the well known brand.
First off – as unusual as it may sound, the bezel, case band, and case back were crafted from a single block of sapphire crystal.
Richard Mille’s team spent years researching and experimenting before developing a sapphire case that will ensure adequate levels of strength and comfort. You wouldn’t say that, but anyone who understands a thing or two about working with sapphire realizes the amount of work than went into this.
The renowned Swiss watchmaker is the only one to date to achieve such a complex case design in sapphire; just imagine this – each block of sapphire requires more than 1,000 hours of machining before that stunning case may adorn your wrist. One thousand hours.. you should be so lucky!
Then, there’s the highly architectural movement and extremely sophisticated skeletonization, with plenty of tiny wonders remaining exposed to the eye. We do enjoy admiring the magic that results from such a cool and carefully handcrafted mechanism, don’t we?
The RM 53-02 Tourbillon Sapphire also stands out for its unusual and interesting developments in the suspended movement, thanks to the use of braided cables that also allows this watch to benefit from a supreme anti-shock system.
Furthermore, Richard Mille’s newest timepiece also brags about a 70-hour power reserve – that means almost 3 days of counting each and every second under almost any conditions in breathtaking fashion. Enjoy!
