RichardMille

Richard Mille RM011 Felipe Massa Watch Hands-On

Richard Mille was attending SIHH for the first time last month and I was there to check out their wares. One of their most popular models is the RM011 Felipe Massa line of watches. The Brazilian race car driver's name is attached to the watch because he actually wears the timepiece (and likely other Richard Mille watches) most all the time. He even had a serious wreck while wearing a Richard Mille watch. He, and the watch, walked away fine though. Above is an image of the gold version of this watch and in the gallery you can see be modeling the titanium version with a chic white rubber strap.

The watch isn't quite as large as its grand appearance would have you believe. Still it is not a small watch and is best for suitably sized wrists as the piece itself is rather long. The curved tonneau-shaped case is designed with the utmost attention to detail with a fine finishing that feels more like a precision tool than jewelry (and this is part of the point). The RM011 automatic movement features a big date and flyback chronograph. The movement has been designed to serve as the dial of the watch, and looks helplessly cool in the process. On the back of the watch you can see the exposed automatic rotor through the sapphire crystal in a style that only Richard Mille has been able to achieve.

This super hot brand is making strides by proving that people are still interested in very high quality, very expensive sport watches, The brand often likes to show case the interesting technologies and materials that they use. At closer to $100,000 in price, these are for the most serious watch consumers. Also I predict that watches like this have a more than ephemeral appeal, and will be popular items in the auction houses in years to come.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Richard Mille RM011 watches

Tags: 2010, chronograph, Felipe Massa, FelipeMassa, gold, Richard Mille, RichardMille, RM 011, RM011, SIHH, titanium, watch

Richard Mille RM022 Aerodyne Tourbillon Dual Time Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

The newest dual time watch from Richard Mille applies some rather exotic materials to the component mix, further making Richard Mille watches standout as those who enjoy fascinating mechanical features as well as fascinating construction. Actually, as far as Richard Mille watches go, the RM022 Aerodyne Tourbillon Dual Time watch is pretty "simple." This, the watch has an impressive level of complications that are meant to keep your eyes busy on the dial.

As a watch, the RM022 tells the time as well as a second time zone. The second timepiece is displayed on a transparent ring that travels around the main dial. The hour here being indicated on that part of the ring over the white colored segment. That is it for telling the time. However, the Aerodyne Tourbillon doesn't stop there. Of course there is the tourbillon escapement complication located under the cage at 6 o'clock, a function indicator on the dial (you press a button in the crown to select its function rather than pulling the crown out), a power reserve indicator for the 70 hours of power reserve in the RM022 manually wound movement, as well as a torque indicator for the movement. Does that watch need all this? No, but it certainly distinguishes the luxury sport watch buying experience with Richard Mille.

Materially speaking the 39.7mm wide by 48mm tall case is in either titanium or 18k red gold (would look nice in either material). The front and rear of the watch contain an interesting alloy known as Orthorhombic titanium aluminides. This metal creates the honeycomb pattern that you see and is utterly spage-age in origin. Beyond looking cool and sounding like a necessary part of a growning space shuttle's diet, it is only there to delight your senses.You don't have to love the watch via first glance, but once you get a chance to handle Richard Mille watches in person, you'll realize they are a different type of luxury item.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: aerodyne, dual, richard mille, RichardMille, rm 022, rm022, tourbillon, watch

Richard Mille RM 019 Tourbillon Voted As Asia's Best Women's Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

You may find it odd that this Richard Mille RM 019 Tourbillon timepiece was recently voted as the 2009's best women's watch in Singapore. Not that the watch isn't nice in theory, but it isn't very practical (or at all practical), nor is it very feminine looking aside from the diamond studded Celtic knot design on the dial and the lovely gleaming onyx movement plate. So while I agree that the watch is cool and probably fun to wear, I would hardly consider it as the best women's watch. But the vote does represent how watch crazy Singaporeans feel, out where the Asia Edition of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève was held this year.

This is not the first time that a Richard Mille watch has been awarded by Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève, and I must admit that the watches are quite impressive in person. Still, it is a shame that many more mainstream appeal women's watches got shafted by a watch that I would predict most women wouldn't choose to wear very often or at all.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com

Tags: asia edition, AsiaEdition, Grand Prix dHorlogerie de Genve, GrandPrixDhorlogerieDeGenve, richard mille, RichardMille, rm 019, Rm019, singapore, tourbillon, watch

Richard Mille RM 008-V2 Felipe Massa Limited Edition Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Here is a high luxury-Swiss watch company making a nod to Brazil and Formula 1 racing. Actually the entire Richard Mille brand is basically a nod to auto racing with the technically inspired looks - though I don't think Formula 1 cars proportionally have that much gold. This RM 008-V2 watch is undeniably Richard Mille in form, but with colors matching the Brazilian flag. The reason for this colorful flair is the watch's connection with Brazilian Formula 1 racer Felipe Massa. There are actually two Felipe Massa limited edition Richard Mille watches, but this is the more complex of the two. The alternative model (limited to 40 pieces) is the RM 004-V2. The difference is that the pictured RM 008-V2 has a tourbillon based manually wound movement, while the other model does not. Both watches have a split-second 30 minute chronograph, the time with subsidiary seconds, a power reserve indicator, a torque level indicator, and function selection indicator. All functions are understandable when you look more or less straight down at the watch as the dials are applied to the rear of the sapphire crystal.

The hefty case is done in either 18k red or white gold, with just 5 pieces each. That is a total of 10 watches for the RM 008-V2 watch line. Style is typical to Richard Mille which is hard to hate, but probably just as hard to live with full-time. It is classy, manly, and fun, while being luxurious. Though I think it would give me a headache like too much good wine if I wore it long enough. Prices will make your head spin faster than Felipe Massa needs to circle the track a single time.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: felipe massa, FelipeMassa, formula 1, Formula1, limited edition, LimitedEdition, richard mille, RichardMille, RM 004-V2, RM 008-V2, Rm004-v2, Rm008-v2, watch

Richard Mille RM 025 Tourbillon Chronograph Diver's Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Popular ultra high-end watch maker Richard Mille tackles the seas instead of the track with the new RM 025 Tourbillon Chronograph Diver's watch. With impeccable engineering prowess, the RM 025 movement-based watch is almost too good to be submerged underwater although it satisfies every diving watch requirement with an extremely sturdy rotating bezel and 300 meter water resistant case that involves a complex case sealing process using hand tightened torque screws. Chronograph pushers on the left of the case are gasket sealed, and the crown, instead of being pulled out to operate, features a central push bottom to switch between its three functions; "H" (to adjust the hands), "N' (neutral time display mode), and "W" (to use the crown for winding).

Despite its intriguing technical design and large 50mm width, the watch's main draw are the mechanical features inside. Richard Mille has been able to combine a titanium column wheel based chronograph with a tourbillon. The specially designed barrel offers 70 hours of power reserve (with a power reserve indicator) in a single main spring barrel unit. Precision enhancing additions such a variable inertia balance wheel, torque indicator dial, and fast rotating main spring barrel provide a vastly increased level of precision and energy use efficiency over similar models - in addition to allowing for greater involvement and understanding of the movement operation by the wearer.

Case construction is a customizable mix of 18k red gold, white gold, and titanium. The Richard Mille designed rubber strap features a secure locking deployment for wearing comfort and security. As is the case in all Richard Mille watches, the RM 025 Tourbillon Chronograph Diver has no specific dial plate. Subdials and hour indexes are reverse applied to the sapphire crystal allowing a direct view into the movement. The Tourbillon Chronograph Diver is a remarkable little machine, best suited for the dedicated horological enthusiast who is able to appreciate its many unparalleled features and technical prowess. Price will easily exceed $100,000 (by a lot).

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: divers watch, DiversWatch, luxury divers watch, LuxuryDiversWatch, richard mille, richard mille rm025, RichardMille, RichardMilleRm025, rm 025 movement, rm025, Rm025Movement, tourbillon, watch, watches

Richard Mille for Boucheron Watch

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the House of Boucheron jewelers, the company has commissioned a variety of special commemorators of the occasion. To start with, they have opened a new store on the rue du Rhone in Paris to showcase the firm's famous designs.

The company has also created unique objects in collaboration with international brand names such as Vertu, jewelry designer Harumi Klossowska, la Maison du chocolat and Richard Mille. From Mille comes the Hommage à Boucheron RM 018 timepiece, in which the gear-train of the movement is manufactured from precious and semi-precious stones. The tourbillon watch has a case and movement produced by Richard Mille and features the precious and semi-precious stones selected and elaborated by Boucheron. The 18K white gold watch is limited to 30 pieces and each piece will have a different combination of stones.

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Tags: richard mille, RichardMille, timepiece, tourbillon, watch, wristwatch

Richard Mille Planetarium Tellerium

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

The watches from Richard Mille always dazzle and now the watch company has enlisted master watchmaker Stephen Forsey to create this fascinating device, the Planetarium Tellerium. The 21st century version of this classic device is made of titanium, wood, steel, brass, 18kt gold, sterling silver and red rubies. The device shows the time and a perpetual calendar as well as showing the rotation of the Earth over an axis, the rotation of the Earth in relation to the Sun, the angle of the Earth, the rotation of the Moon over an axis, the rotation of the Moon in relation to the Earth, moonphases, the complication knows as the equation of time, and the positions of Mercury, Venus and the Sun. For practical and aesthetic reasons the Earth is not rendered in scale (in reality it is 109 times smaller than the sun). The planets are also not to scale. The planetarium is wound with a lever system, and it has a power reserve of 15 days. The Richard Mille Planetarium-Tellerium will be unveiled at The Hour Glass' Tempus Event on September 4.

Gallery: Mille Planetarium