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Introducing the Richard Mille RM63-02 World Timer watch
Richard Mille first unveiled the RM 58-01 Tourbillon World Timer at the 2013 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie.
RICHARD MILLE RM 63-02 WORLD TIMER AUTOMATIC WATCH
Designed for frequent travellers and others alike, this timepiece made a strong impression on the press thanks to its remarkably easy to use multi-time-zone mechanism. When designing the RM 58-01, Richard Mille’s goal was to simplify the setting of this complication as far as possible, notably by removing the pusher.
The RM 63-02 World Timer repeats this exercise, incorporating the World Timer function at the heart of a brand new automatic in-house movement.
The rotating bezel in satin-brushed and polished grade-5 titanium is one of the masterpieces of the RM 63-02. Mounted on ball bearings for easy manipulation, it can be turned to select the desired time zone. When the name of the wearer’s current city is positioned at 12 o’clock, the RM 63-02 automatically defines the local time as well as the time in 23 other cities around the world thanks to its graduated 24-hour flange. This blue and white disk distinguishes nighttime and daytime hours, automatically incorporating the correction hour by hour. The bidirectional bezel interacts directly with the heart of the movement, and ensures the water-resistance of the case—crafted from vertically satin-brushed and polished grade-5 titanium—to 30 meters.
The movement’s designers selected the in-house CRMA3 caliber to drive the RM 63-02. It is assembled around an electroplasma-treated grade-5 titanium plate—the same material used for the majority of its bridges. The sculptural upper bridge is made from black-rhodium-plated, polished and circular-grained nickel silver, whose round openings provide glimpses of the dial-train and World Timer mechanism in action. The RM 63-02 caliber features an oversized date at 12 o’clock driven by two skeletonized disks, and a function selector which allows the user to navigate between the winding, time-setting or neutral positions with one simple push. Powered by a quick-rotation barrel that ensures the optimum regularity of the mainspring and a power reserve of 50 hours, it is wound by a rotor in 5N red gold and grade-5 titanium.
As part of our systematic quest to optimize the productivity and transmission of energy to the variable inertia balance wheel, all of the wheels in the CRMA3 caliber have an involute profile of 20°. The movement is enhanced by the hand-crafted finishes, which adorn almost every component. Each piece of the movement requires many hours of work to polish angles, draw out edges, circular-grain gear trains and microblast bridges.
The RM 63-02 World Timer will be presented at the SIAR (Salón Internacional Alta Relojería), which takes place in Mexico City between October 20 and 22, 2015.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF RM 63-02 WORLD TIMER
CALIBER CRMA3: automatic winding movement with hours, minutes, oversize date and universal 24-hour time display.
Diameter: 47.00 x 13.85 mm.
MAIN FEATURES
POWER RESERVE
Circa 50 hours (±10%).
BASEPLATE AND BRIDGES IN GRADE 5 TITANIUM
Microblasted grade 5 titanium with electroplasma treatment improves the rigidity of the entire assembly and provides precise surface flatness, which is essential for the perfect functioning of the gear train.
The skeletonized baseplate and the bridges have been subjected to intensive and complete validation tests to optimize their resistance capacities.
MULTIPLE TIME ZONE ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM
The RM 63-02 features an innovative mechanism for adjusting the time zone. The rotating bezel includes a specific wheel connected to the movement that acts directly on the hour wheel. Turning the bezel ensures quicker, more accurate time-setting.
The lower disc, divided into 24 hours, shows the time in other cities and indicates whether it is day (white part) or night (blue part).
Operation: place the name of the desired city at 12 o’clock to automatically set the local time and see the time in the 23 others international cities marked on the 24-hour bezel.
OVERSIZE DATE DISPLAY
Semi-instantaneous, horizontally placed under 12 o’clock, functioning via two skeletonized calendar discs over a white background. The date can be corrected simply via the push-button located at 10 o’clock.
FUNCTION SELECTOR
A push-button located at 4 o’clock enables the selection of the winding, hand setting and neutral functions in a manner similar to a car’s gearbox. An aperture located at 4 o’clock displays the function selected: W (Winding) - N (Neutral) - H (Hand setting).
BALANCE SPRING WITH VARIABLE INERTIA
It guarantees greater reliability when subjected to shock and also during movement assembly and disassembly, hence better chronometric results over time. The regulator index is eliminated and a more accurate and repeatable adjustment is possible thanks to 4 small adjustable weights placed directly on the balance.
FAST ROTATING BARREL (5 hours per revolution instead of 7.5 hours)
This type of barrel has the following advantages:
- The phenomenon of periodic internal mainspring adhesion is significantly diminished, thereby increasing performance,
- Provision of an excellent mainspring delta curve with an ideal power reserve/performance and regularity ratio.
GEAR TEETH PROFILE
The entire going train of the watch, the primary transmitter of power through the movement, utilizes a special profile for the teeth of the wheels. Developed specifically for the caliber CRMA3, the wheels use a 20° pressure angle.
This system equalizes any discrepancies that might arise between the centers of each wheel, for instance during thermal changes and normal use, and promotes excellent torque transmission to the balance wheel, thus supporting excellent chronometric characteristics.
SPECIAL FLAT-HEAD MOVEMENT SCREWS
Richard Mille has utilized the best of modern micro-mechanical engineering in the use of special flat-head screws in the caliber CRMA3. These unusual screws with their 6 holed heads are based on the snake-eye screw concept principally used in the assembly of parts that require extremely precise torque to be applied.
SPLINE SCREWS IN GRADE 5 TITANIUM FOR THE MOVEMENT
These provide better control of the torque applied to the screws during assembly. These screws are therefore unaffected by physical manipulation during assembly or disassembly and age well.
OTHER FEATURES
- Diameter of the movement: 33.80 mm
- Thickness: 7.73 mm
- Number of jewels: 37
- Balance: CuBe, 4 arms, 4 setting screws, inertia moment 7.5 mg.cm2, angle of lift 50º
- Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Balance spring / Spiral: AK 3
- Shock protection: Incabloc 908.22.211.100 (transparent)
- Escapement wheel jewels: Rubifix (transparent)
CASE
Producing the RM 63-02 case is an extremely complex task, as almost 200 parts are required to create it. The design and creation of the watch are both fruits of an overall conceptual approach applied to the case, dial and individual movement parts. Its four-part construction includes the rotating bevel that, in addition to being used to adjust the watch, plays a role in keeping the timepiece water-resistant. The case mechanism is completed by horns and screws to securely fix the strap.
The case is made from grade 5 titanium and features exceptional hand finishes.
The bezel, the caseback and the crown protector are polished and satin-brushed. The case middle has vertical satin-brushing, while the lugs have vertical and horizontal satin-brushing and polished bevel edges.
The case is assembled with 12 spline screws in grade 5 titanium and is water-resistant to 30 metres, ensured by two Nitril O-ring seals.
CROWN
Made of grade 5 titanium, polished and microblasted, with O-ring seal and Alcryn® collar.
SPLINE SCREWS IN GRADE 5 TITANIUM FOR THE CASE
This enables better control of the torque applied to the screws during assembly. These screws are therefore unaffected by physical manipulation during assembly or disassembly and age well.
FLANGES
Upper and lower flanges in blue anodized aluminium.
DIAL
In sapphire (thickness: 0.40 mm) anti-glare treatment (both sides).
CRYSTAL
- Bezel side: in sapphire (1800 Vickers) with anti-glare treatment (both sides).
- Thickness: 1.10 mm at the center and 1.64 mm at outer edges
- Caseback: sapphire with anti-glare treatment (both sides)
- Thickness: 1.00 mm at the center and 1.74 mm at outer edges
FINISHING
MOVEMENT
- Upper bridge microblasted, chamfered and polished by hand
- Microblasted milled section
- Microblasted sinks
- Grey Electroplasma treatment for the baseplate and Titalyt® for the bridges
STEEL PARTS
- Satin-finished surfaces
- Hand polished chamfered edges
- Hand polished sinks
- Filed rims
PROFILE-TURNING
- Lapped and polished extremities
- Burnished pivots
- Polished post faces
WHEELS
- Diamond polished angles
- Circular finished faces
- Rhodium-plating (before cutting the teeth)
