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Introducing the Richard Mille Tourbillon RM26-02 Evil Eye
The concept of the Evil Eye, also known as Ayin Harsha in Arabic, Mauvais OEil in French, Dhristi in Hindu and Ayin Ha’ra in Hebrew, is recorded in every culture from early history. This universal symbol of foreboding summons suffering and misfortune to whoever is exposed to its power. The Evil Eye knows no bounds except those imposed on it by various protective talismans, such as the Eye of Horus amulet, the Jewish red string or the Irish four leaf clover, to name just a few. Today, a new talisman to protect against these negative energies in the 21st century has been developed by a visionary of contemporary watchmaking.
RICHARD MILLE TOURBILLON RM 26-02 EVIL EYE
Nonconformist by nature, Richard Mille seized on this imagery as inspiration for the new RM 26-02 Tourbillon Evil Eye in much the same way as he did when creating the earlier RM 052 skull timepiece, recalling the spirit of Memento Mori with its remembrance of our personal mortality. Both of these technical masterpieces, born in the Swiss Jura, go far beyond the norm to bring timekeeping to inspirational and intriguing levels of expression.
The Evil Eye RM 26-02 Tourbillon was designed and brought to life by Olivier Vaucher, a renowned craftsman from Geneva. Fashioned from 3N red gold, the flames and eye have been hand-carved using chisels made specifically to perfect the tiniest details. The art of grand feu enameling is what gives the eye its striking depth and realism. In grand feu enameling, the motif is painted onto the gold dial using various rare oxides before it is fired at a high temperature between 800°C and 900°C several times under the extremely attentive eye of the enameler in a process that leaves no room for mistakes. It is then finished with several more layers of transparent lacquer which are also fired in the identical manner. These multiple layers collectively create an exquisite visual depth impossible to achieve by any other means. To further enhance the realism of this piece, painstaking micro-lacquerwork is carried out by hand on the flames.
The Evil Eye is nestled at the heart of the tourbillon RM26-02 caliber, a manual winding movement with a power reserve of approximately 50 hours indicated by a red line on a differential-driven, rotating disk located between 10 and 11 o’clock. Assembled using a plate and bridges in PVD-coated grade 5 titanium, which is highly resistant to corrosion and remarkably strong, the tourbillon caliber movement beating at 3 Hz is insured a perfectly functioning environment. The extensive skeletonization carried out on the baseplate reveals the other side of the Evil Eye through the back of the watch, hidden at the heart of the movement.
The RM26-02 caliber is protected from the outside world by a black TZP ceramic case. The deep black of this hightech ceramic—worked at length to obtain a mat effect over the entire surface—plays with the light of the hand-polished chamfers to highlight the curves of the case, which showcases the colors of the Evil Eye’s flames. The case middle in 5N red gold features a torque limiting crown, which prevents the wearer from accidentally overwinding the tourbillon caliber. The tripartite case is water-resistant to 50 meters thanks to two Nitril O-ring seals, and is assembled using 12 spline screws in grade 5 titanium and washers in 316L stainless steel.
The RM 26-02 is produced in a limited edition of 25 timepieces in black TZP ceramic, which are available exclusively in the 25 Richard Mille boutiques located around the world.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF THE TOURBILLON RM 26-02 EVIL EYE
Limited edition of 25 pieces.
CALIBER RM26-02: manual winding tourbillon movement with hours, minutes and power reserve.
Dimensions: 48.15 x 40.10 x 13.10 mm.
MAIN FEATURES
POWER RESERVE
Circa 48 hours (±10%). This function is displayed using a differential power reserve system with a printed red line on a moving disc located between 10 and 11 o’clock.
BASEPLATE AND BRIDGES IN GRADE 5 TITANIUM
Grade 5 titanium is a biocompatible, highly corrosion-resistant and remarkably rigid alloy, which enables the gear train to function effortlessly.
The alloy is 90% titanium, 6% aluminium and 4% vanadium. This combination further increases its mechanical properties, which explains its frequent use in the aerospace, aeronautical and automobile industries.
The skeletonised baseplate and bridges have been subjected to intensive and complete validation tests to optimize their resistance capacities.
GRAND FEU ENAMEL AND MICRO-LACQUER DIAL
Grand feu enamel is a decorative watchmaking technique that is extremely delicate to produce, but which procures exceptional durability in the finished work.
Produced by renowned artist Olivier Vaucher, the evil eye motif is not painted directly on the gold dial. Rather, several layers of oxides must be applied to the gold dial and fired at between 800° and 900°C several times, revealing the evil eye’s colors little by little. The grand feu enamel technique produces decorations of unequalled sophistication and stability.
To further enhance the realism of this piece, painstaking micro-lacquerwork is carried out by hand on the flames.
FREE SPRUNG BALANCE WITH VARIABLE INERTIA
The free-sprung balance gives better reliability in the event of shocks, movement assembly and disassembly, and also guarantees better chronometric results over an extended period of time.
BARREL PAWL WITH PROGRESSIVE RECOIL
This device permits an appreciable winding gain (circa 20 %), especially during the start of winding. It also aids in the even distribution of the mainspring’s internal tension.
SPLINE SCREWS IN GRADE 5 TITANIUM FOR THE BRIDGES
This permits 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
- Movement dimensions: 30,20 mm x 28,60 mm
- Thickness: 4,97 mm
- Tourbillon diameter: 12,30 mm
- Balance diameter: 9,12 mm
- Number of jewels: 21
- Balance: in Glucydur, with 2 arms and 4 setting screws, moment of inertia: 10 mg.cm2, angle of lift 53°
- Frequency: 3 Hz (21,600 vph)
- Balance spring: in ELINVAR by Nivarox®
- Shock absorbers: Kif Elastor by KE 160 B28
- Stone setting in white gold
- Barrel shafts: in nickel-free Chronifer (DIN x 46 Cr13 + S), with the following characteristics: stainless, non-magnetic, tempered.
CASE
TZP black ceramic was chosen for the RM 26-02 bezel and caseback. This low-density material (6g/cm3) is highly scratch-resistant and has a low thermal conductivity coefficient. Constituted of 95% yttrium-stabilised zirconium, TZP has a pronounced grain that provides the perfect finish. A long and difficult machining and grinding process using diamond tools is necessary to create the complex forms of the bezel and caseback, which are given a final matt surface finish. The caseband is in red gold 5N.
The tripartite case is water resistant to 50 meters, ensured by two Nitril O-ring seals. The case is assembled with 12 spline screws in grade 5 titanium and abrasion resistant washers in 316L stainless steel.
SPLINE SCREWS IN GRADE 5 TITANIUM FOR THE CASE
This permits 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.
TORQUE LIMITING CROWN
This additional security system prevents from accidental overwinding, which could cause damage to the winding stem or put extreme pressure on the mainspring barrel.
INTERIOR FLANGES
Upper flange in metal, with the hours index set with diamonds.
Lower flange in metal, with the minutes index in white color.
CRYSTAL
Bezel side: in sapphire (1,800 Vickers) with anti-glare treatment (both sides).
Thickness: 1.50 mm
Caseback: in sapphire with anti-glare treatment (both sides).
Thickness: at the center 1 mm and outer edges 1.73 mm
FINISHING
MOVEMENT
- Anglage and polishing by hand
- Locking sections hand polished
- Sapphire blasted milled sections
- Lapped and polished contact points
- Burnished pivots
- PVD treatment
STEEL PARTS
- Sapphire blasted surfaces
- Satin finished surfaces
- Anglage and polishing by hand
- Burnished sections
GEAR WHEELS
- Concave chamfering with a diamond tool
- Circular finished faces
- Gilded (before cutting the teeth)
- Minimum correction applied to the wheels in order to preserve geometry and