With any brand, it's only natural that the first models differ from those that leave the workshop twenty years later. However, Richard Mille's design language seems to be very consistent. Although their mens replica watch are designed for a wide variety of situations and scenarios, there is a continuity to each collection of the brand, with many series and case shapes. This is partly due to his own talent. As Wei Koh, owner of Richard Mille and founder of The Rake and Revolution magazines, puts it, "His watches are the most original vision of modern watchmaking in the 21 century." According to Koh, Mille has stayed true to its original vision of "nothing Fear" has remained constant. This, along with a determination to innovate relentlessly, seems to be the quality that Richard Mille has always adhered to.
As we move from the RM 002 to the RM 003 tourbillon, the lightweight movement adds dual time functionality; adding an extra layer of usability to the watch. However, with the next model, the RM 008-V1, in 2003, we started to see the sportier side of these watches come to the forefront.
Adding a split-seconds chronograph to the hand-wound tourbillon movement that already has a power reserve function indicator and a torque indicator shows Mille's willingness to innovate. While the split-seconds chronograph is a complex and integrated function, it is the practicality that Mille focuses on. For those unfamiliar with the brand and more used to the regular layout of discount replica watch, the RM 008 may appear confusing. However, it is the origin of all other chronographs made by Richard Mille over the past 20 years; including the just released first in-house lifestyle chronograph movement.
The next watch to exemplify Mille's progress as a watchmaker and as a brand is the RM 006 Felipe Massa Tourbillon. Released in 2004, we started to see futuristic materials emerge, with the first use of the aforementioned carbon nanofiber baseplate. As we've discussed before, working with carbon nanofibers was not an easy process, but it solved many of the problems Mille had with his initial design. From scratch resistance to ultra-light weight, it fulfills several requirements. He then went on to introduce carbon nanofiber to several other watches, starting with the RM 002, upgrading them to better fit the image Mille has always held. It also marked the beginning of what some are calling an obsession with space-age materials. Whether it is the movement, the case or the strap,
While we don't have time to cover all the new material that Richard Mille has introduced to us over the years, we wanted to focus on one more important piece, which we felt was part of his earliest brushstrokes - and which was deemed highly desirable as a result. RM 009. For veteran Rolex dealer and independent collector from Dufour to Mille Eric Ku, the piece forms the final piece of the “holy trinity of early Richard Milles,” which also includes the RM 001 and RM 006.Richard Mille RM 007 red gold diamond
This new reference brings another new material to these watches, an aluminum-lithium alloy movement paired with an ALUSIC case. Mouthful. The alloy that makes up the movement is more commonly found on the Airbus A380. Due to its extremely low density, combined with high elasticity and corrosion resistance, it is very suitable for watches that need to be light and shock-resistant. The fact that it came from a jumbo jet made it all the more sex appealing to Mille.
Creating an ALUSIC alloy case composed of lithium, aluminum, titanium, zirconium, chrome-silicon, zinc and manganese for the RM 009 was a difficult task for the brand. Commonly used in satellite structures and Airbus 380 brake discs, it is very light but very stiff. The first attempt to mill the case failed because the drill and machined bits melted; special diamond-tipped tools had to be developed to achieve the complex case design. Worse still is the threading of the case screws, it often happens that almost all the threads are finished, only to break at the last moment with the diamond bit - meaning the entire case has to be thrown away. Aside from the brand’s recent solid sapphire cases, this meant that the RM 009’s case was the most expensive original Swiss-made case at the time. Not the traditional way of making watch cases. However, the results speak for themselves. “During our visit to Les Breuleux, we tried to use a corkscrew to scrape part of a waste bin,” Koh said, “but we couldn’t leave a trace.” Replica Franck Muller Watches
When creating a watch to meet the demanding conditions of a Formula 1 driver like Felipe Massa, you need to go to great lengths, including making the lightest mechanical watch available at the time. If you ask Ku what it's like to hold the RM 009, he'll say, "It feels like a rock, or rock. It doesn't even feel like metal." It must be a very light rock, because the RM 009 doesn't come with a strap The weight is only 28 grams, which is equivalent to the weight of five and a half sheets of ordinary printing paper. Not something to take lightly.
Looking back, it's hard to imagine just how influential the RM 009, and many of Mille's early works, were. At that time, ultra-light, ultra-expensive complication watches had not yet been invented. Everything starts here. It is clear that many of the first-time buyers of the RM 009 are collectors who are also looking for works by François-Paul Journe or Philippe Dufour. We also know of a collector who recently sold an early Journe tourbillon he had owned for a few years. What would he use instead? RM 002, everything is included.
As far apart as these worlds may seem, they all represent a unique, pure approach to watchmaking. They combine unique sounds that want to be heard. For those who associate Mille's work purely with ostentatious wealth, it's easy to forget how innovative his work was in its early days—not just in terms of materials, but in the concept of the watch itself. Today, we forget this because almost every brand is now emulating or trying to embrace the principles that Mille first laid out years ago.Jacob & Co. Epic X Chrono
Like many of his decisions, Mille's approach to ultralight watchmaking arose from a desire to break with traditional watchmaking conventions. In the world of horology, weight is often associated with quality and value. Fueled by his contrarian spirit, Mille went in the opposite direction, creating the lightest, most expensive watches available.
For the last innovation we want to draw attention to, we'll take a quick look at the RM 012. This is where the construction and design of Richard Mille watches really breaks out of the realm of traditional watch design. The bottom plate has been done away with and replaced with a network of Phyrox tubes. This scaffolding-like structure supports the hand-wound tourbillon movement in a manner that at first appears rather unstable or fragile. Each gem is set in the junction between many tubes.
Koh likened the design to a "Ducati superbike," a comparison we think Mille would approve of. In fact, the man himself likened it to a car's suspension, which absorbs shocks. The see-through structure may look flimsy, but thanks to two years of development in replacing the bottom plate, it's astoundingly robust. Likewise, the tolerances of the tube and its fixtures are measured in microns, and since the moving parts are seamlessly built into it, there is very little room for error.replica Ulysse Nardin Diver
If lightness is Mille's main focus, it must be obvious that toughness is another matter. Dismissing sponsored athletes strapping on their watches at the end of a victory, Mille designs pieces for action. Whether it's Formula 1, racing or polo, he has always proven himself to be a watch 'made for the battlefield'. The fact that their price point makes them completely contradictory as action watches only enhances their appeal somewhat. It's extremes for its own sake, in a way that borders on the absurd, and it's kind of glamorous. In the early days, when people were used to questioning the idea of a solid tourbillon, Mille would take it off his wrist and toss it across the room, taking great pleasure in it. Certainly a way to prove a point.
Finally, we feel we would be remiss in discussing the foundations of the brand without emphasizing areas that Mille has almost pioneered in his approach. This area is of course ladies watches. The turn of the millennium has launched a number of independent brands, some of which we've covered in depth before. However, none of them seem to devote as much attention and creative effort to female models as Richard Mille. The RM 007 was his first watch aimed at the women’s market – released in 2005, the same year as the RM 009. This is again a great example of how Richard Mille pays attention to detail.
One aspect of this model that Ku really appreciates is the rotor. As he puts it, "There's a bunch of little balls inside that move freely inside the winding rotor. That just looks like a cool design element." These 100 microspheres of 18kt gold are not only a beautiful aesthetic, but also contribute to the Reduces possible bursts of energy generated by bi-directional rotors during impact. While this technological refinement could have been achieved in other ways, the fact that Mille decided to implement it in a way that could be described as feminine shows that the designs were well thought out. These are not move up or dial down designs. Instead, thought has been put into every aspect, with practicality, function and appearance considered at every stage. This mentality is carried forward in Mille's other men's and women's replica watches for sale.