VISUAL AND TECHNICAL MAGIC
This collection was created by Cécile Guenat, Creative and Development Director. She met this challenge by overcoming technical obstacles, freeing herself from consensus and establishing a unique and resolutely contemporary style. Richard Mille RM 71-01 replica
The ten variations on the RM 71-01 Automatic Tourbillon Talisman weave together the supreme technicity specific to Richard Mille and the sculptural universe of fine jewellery.
Talisman, a name that evokes nothing less than magical protection. This collection was born from a magnetic alchemy at the intersection of Tribal arts and Art Deco.
‘My work is the fruit of very different influences. In designing this collection, I drew not only on Art Deco, but on the Tribal arts—masks, African sculptures, etc.—whose impact on all great modern and contemporary artists has been enormous. The contrasts, geometry, and sacred character of these objects fascinate me all the more because they prefigured today’s design through the fusion of content and form,’ confides Cécile Guenat.
The gem-set dials mounted at the centre of the movement suggest masks, tiaras, even ritual artefacts. The dials evoke two distinct universes: one more plant-based and the other more urban.
The shape of the dials, already defined by the decision to crown the tourbillon based on the design of the baseplate, left many options for setting and engraving the case. A formal play that extends the lines of the dial to the bezel, the case and the caseback.
Each dial, a mere 0.9 mm in thickness, is hand set with mother-of-pearl, onyx and diamonds. This component is an immense technical challenge because of the many different finishing operations required: sandblasting, polishing, setting… and all this in a very small area arranged on several levels.
Microblasted grade 5 titanium with PVD treatment gives great rigidity to the baseplate, as well as precise surface flatness which is essential for the perfect functioning of the gear train. Bridges are also in grade 5 titanium, microblasted and with black electroplasma treated.
The skeletonised baseplate and bridges have been subjected to intensive and complete validation tests to optimise their resistance capacities.
This type of balance wheel represents the ultimate in innovation. It guarantees greater reliability when subjected to shocks and during movement assembly or disassembly, hence better chronometric results over time. The regulator index is eliminated, and a more accurate and repeatable calibration is possible thanks to 4 small, adjustable weights located directly on the balance.
Richard Mille RM 07-01 Gold Carbon TPT (Photo: Richard Mille) In an evolutionary step, in 2020, Richard Mille unveils Gold Carbon TPT. Melding carbon composite with gold leaf, the offspring of four years of development is a brand-new material boasting a unique lustre. A union of strength and nobility, Gold Carbon TPT has been chosen to clad
Richard Mille introduced its first in-house automatic tourbillon movement in 2018 – and against all expectations, it was housed in a watch made by a woman for women: the RM 71-01. And while this watch is about as technical