Images: Richard Mille.
The RM 75-01 Flying Tourbillon Sapphire by Richard Mille is a true ode to art. Imagine standing before a Gothic cathedral, its arching spires reaching toward the heavens, tantalising the viewer with its intricate beauty. This masterpiece encapsulates that sense of awe. Infusing it into a timepiece that celebrates the marriage of engineering marvel and aesthetic poetry.
The RM 75-01 Flying Tourbillon Sapphire with blue sapphire caseback, by Richard Mille.
A testament to the power of contrast, at its core this watch is a modern-day tribute to the grandeur of Gothic architecture, buoyed by the lyrical elegance of water. “These inspirations provided us with a path guiding our choices of colours and the style we wanted for these pieces,” shares Cécile Guenat, Richard Mille’s director of development and creation. “Our goal was to distil the essence of these influences to offer a contemporary interpretation.’
The RM 75-01 Flying Tourbillon Sapphire with clear sapphire caseback, by Richard Mille
And what an interpretation. Housed in a casing of pure sapphire, the RM 75-01 Flying Tourbillon Sapphire is a study in transparency and strength. Sapphire, known for its scratch resistance and clarity, embodies the divine juxtaposition of robustness and delicacy. Through meticulous craftsmanship, coloured sapphire crystals emerge, their hues a result of an intricate dance of metal oxides.
The colour story
Water, a symbol of clarity and movement, inspires the collection’s chosen colours. The first model expresses a sapphire caseback in blue sapphire, while another does so in lilac. Then a third model celebrates the transparency of clear sapphire. Symbolic of a story all on its own, each chosen hue is meant to evoke an aquatic voyage. Naturally, blue references the deep sea, while lilac pink hints to a South Sea twilight. Clear sapphire on the other hand recalls the surface of waves. “Being able to use sapphire in multiple colours offered the opportunity to create multiple identities,” Guenat explains.
Each model holds a poetry all its own.
The colour story extends to the bejewelled crown, a sublime beauty defined by a vivid rubber gasket accompanied by diamonds. This is further complemented with a domed cabochon of white agate or pink opal that captivates like a found treasure. A treasure that is crafted in red gold, echoing the flange that frames the flying tourbillon cradled within the transparent case.
Each crown is akin to a precious jewelled treasure.
The beating heart
The flying tourbillon is a tour de force of horological ingenuity, poised elegantly as if weightless within its crystalline abode. This is the very heartbeat of this majestic creation, a manual winding flying tourbillon with a power reserve that stretches a glorious 65 hours. It also represents a technical revolution by Richard Mille. Its creation marked the first time the Manufacture designed a movement specifically with a sapphire case in mind.
Within the intricate and complex architecture of this movement lies the flying tourbillon itself. Here, it’s poised at 6 o’clock as it makes its rotation at the breakneck speed befitting the most ardent Renaissance sculptor chiseling out his magnum opus. Its cage, unbridled by an upper bridge, appears ethereal, enhancing both reliability and precision. The flying tourbillon, whirring with quiet intensity, diminishes internal imperfections, ensuring a timekeeping performance par excellence.
The intricate architecture
Not to be overlooked, the case, too, is an artistic marvel. It’s an engineering composition that demands over a thousand hours of artisan diligence. The sapphire visage, anti-glare-treated, beckons light to revel in its optical orchestra. All while ensuring aquatic resilience with Nitrile O-ring seals and titanium spline screws.
Emulating the vaulted arches of medieval cathedrals, the upper flange in microblasted gold playfully courts light, casting shadows that deepen its allure. SuperLuminova highlights pulse through the piece, igniting a symphony of luminescence, as it conducts the movement to the rhythm of time.
Left: The glorious architecture of a movement created specifically for a sapphire case. Right: The microblasted gold flange that frames the complex movement.
With the RM 75-01 Flying Tourbillon Sapphire, Richard Mille has not merely crafted a watch. They have conjured an emotive journey across time and space, inviting the wearer to experience time as a journey through art. Where moments are captured not just tick by tick, but as vibrant art forms in perpetual motion.
The RM 75-01 Flying Tourbillon Sapphire with lilac sapphire caseback, by Richard Mille.
This collection is more than a feat of engineering. It is an invitation to transcend temporal boundaries, to embrace time as a fluid art form. So wear it, not just on your wrist, but as a beacon of artistry and ingenuity. Like a mesmeric duet of the past and the future, converging into an unparalleled masterpiece.
