Hands-on overview of the Richard Mille RM056-01: an outstanding and surprising experience

Feb 27, 2016,13:54 PM
 


Gentlemen,

I recently had the chance to be able to hold an exceptional Richard Mille reference in my ‘delicate’ hands. Indeed, it is not every day that we can admire such a marvelous masterpiece from a brand which models are already quite unique in watchmaking. I thought we could have a closer look at it, as an aside from the rush of the salons. It is the Richard Mille RM056-01 Sapphire Crystal, in “full” sapphire.




INTRODUCTION TO EXCELLENCE

“Full" — well, not completely — as the gear trains, hands and other elements of the caliber are still made of metal.

From the 3 (maybe 4 if we count the last anniversary model) all-Sapphire references presented by Richard Mille, the -01 we have a look at in this thread is definitely my favorite one: the addition of a sapphire mainplate together with the removal of the chronograph module leave the tourbillon as the king of the show. This seems the right balance to me.

As a reminder, it all started in January 2012 when the first version, the RM056 Sapphire Spilt-Second (with a Titanium mainplate) was presented during the SiHH in a 5-piece limited edition.




One year later, the RM056-01 I wish to talk about here was presented in another 5-piece production run. As I said, the main evolutions from the RM056 were the removal of the Split-second feature and the replacement of the Titanium baseplate by the Sapphire one.




In 2014, for Watches and Wonders this time (underlining by the way the stronger and stronger importance of this event in the watchmaking's year schedule), the third version, the RM056-02, was unveiled. This time it was again a “tourbillon-only" caliber but designed on the basis of the cable suspended movement used in the ultimate RM027-01 Rafael Nadal. This version was produced in 10 examples.




Finally, an additional 10-piece version of the first one (RM056 Sapphire Spilt-Second) was produced this year to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the collaboration between the Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa and Richard Mille (we talked about it here: www.watchprosite.com ).




These 4 projects led to a series of watches with a finish that is second to none, and a beautiful and rare (in this industry) visual lightness. When I said this is a major Richard Mille project, it is not only about the caliber's technical nature (other RM references are more complicated, though not that much) but about the perfect symbiosis between the artistic and Sapphire crafting areas. The brand is already a watchmaking specialist in drilling and working on very unusual and of the hardest materials (Alusic, Lital etc...). This most valuable experience and tools are plainly used to create the RM056 line-up cases.

When I was given the great opportunity to observe and admire this RM056-01, I was not only looking at the material transparency but at all the details and the way they interact, visually in this watch. This is something I'm eager and willing to detail in the next part.


THE WATCH

Starting with the case's dimensions: all of the generations are 50.5 x 42.7 mm. Nevertheless, the RM056 was 19.25mm thick, whereas this -01 (as well as the -02) drops to 16.75mm with the removal of the Split-Second complication.



The bezel and caseback are made of two 2.5mm thick ergonomic sapphire plates. For someone who is used to seeing RM watches, it is unusual to see a one piece "glass & bezel" part as, usually, each are made of two elements of different nature: a sapphire glass inserted in a Titanium or other metallic frame (and a seal of course).



As you can imagine, the main difficulty is to master the manufacturing (cutting and milling) of this particularly-hard sapphire material (made of Aluminum oxide crystals with a melting temperature point of 2030°C). Indeed, sapphire can be easily broken during the process and is not repairable.



The crafting session of a single case (bezel, caseband and caseback) needs 1,000 hours of work to be performed completely, including 350 hours of polishing! In addition, there are many adjustments and tool changes for each of the 5 pieces produced.



To give an idea, the abrasion resistance of synthetic sapphire is 8 times greater than that of steel.

In addition to the whole case, the baseplate, the central bridge and the central wheel are also made of sapphire. This gives you an idea of the performance and how this watch is much more than a sapphire block.
All the sapphire parts of the RM056-01 are treated with an anti-glare coating.



Mechanically, we now come to a secondary element of this exceptional reference. The watch gathers some "ingredients" we find in many of Richard Mille's watches: the power reserve (around 70 hours) and torque indicators and the function setting selector (Wind, Neutral, Hands) which is activated via the coaxial pusher located in the crown.



Finally, the translucent strap is called Aerospace Nano: the main characteristic I could observe is that it is soft and a little elastic.




THOUGHTS

The least I can say is that it was the kind of experience we may not be able to live often, so I was really willing to share it with you here.

The way the Sapphire parts look is far more than just transparency. For instance, all the engraved wordings (laser?) appear in a grey/white color on the sapphire surfaces and look beautiful: they are light looking, and are transparent too. This is very hard to express but it is completely coherent in the way it is decorated. Each of the markings made in the sapphire material are decorations.



Then you add the "suspended" mechanism which is floating like a cloud: indeed it is difficult to see, at first sight, where the movement is linked to the baseplate. Regarding the tourbillon — the gears seem to be connected with each other but they don't seem to be attached to the watch.



Finally, the finishing of the steel parts such as the tourbillon or the barrel's bridges is absolutely of the highest standards in traditional high-end watchmaking. I have a good close range sight and I wanted to see if it was like what we are used to seeing: of course it is not worked exactly as traditional bridges are (the tourbillon's bridge is opened in the middle). However, the beveled and polished parts are top-notch and without flaws.


CONCLUSION

In conclusion, Richard Mille is a young watchmaker (15 years) which has already succeeded in creating a strong brand image and DNA with its modern classic tonneau-shapes cases, which is highly skilled when coming to technical choices and applications but also when it comes to this sector's finishing mastery.

I tried to share my experience and hope I could succeed showing what it is like to bring to fruition such a project.

If it was a regular model in the collection, I would want to get one for sure. The way it looks, the decoration, the visual lightness and the immersion it provides are second to none. I thought about this watch several days after trying it, as if I could afford it. The experience feels so good when you find something to dream about.

Cheers, Mark


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More posts: Felipe MassaRafael NadalRM011RM027RM027-01RM056RM056-01RM056-02TAG Heuer Connected

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Comments: view entire thread

 

It is Luis

 
 By: Mark in Paris : February 28th, 2016-08:44
and even more in live, in a manner I would never have imagined. Something to see imho. Cheers, Mark

is this for sale at the boutique?

 
 By: dne : February 27th, 2016-17:16
I've never seen one in Abu Dhabi or Dubai.. Curious if they have one for sale in Paris I presume? PS thanks for the excellent review!

My pleasure!

 
 By: Mark in Paris : February 28th, 2016-08:45
It is indeed a very rare piece and they are usually nearly all sold during their presentation. Cheers, Mark

Amazing

 
 By: colton_d : February 27th, 2016-20:36
mark, So happy you had the opportunity to try this beautiful (and insane) RM in a well-lit setting. I've seen one too many frustratingly mysterious wrist shots around the web, and it's really nice to hear your honest impressions of it. Of course, nothing ... 

This was indeed a unique experience

 
 By: Mark in Paris : February 28th, 2016-08:58
In fact, I was really surprised and didn't think I would like this as I did in real. We all know that watches look nicer in the metal but here it was quite special as this material brings something much different from usual metals. This is not just "trans... 

How does such a watch take the time -

 
 By: dr.kol : February 27th, 2016-21:24
how does it look like in 20 or more years? It looks very fancy but not really my cup of tea. Thank for the review. Best, Kari

From my personal experience with RM035

 
 By: Mark in Paris : February 28th, 2016-09:06
Perfect accuracy and timekeeping. These are great calibers. Does this particular one does? I'm sure but won't be able to provide a proof! Sapphire is something that doesn't move with time and I'm sure this watch will do very well. Certainly the wheel in s... 

I am just an old fashioned guy

 
 By: dr.kol : February 28th, 2016-09:21
and perfectly happy with traditional brands like PP, VC, Rolex... Best, Kari, the Watch Conservative

The question you asked were perfectly relevant

 
 By: Mark in Paris : February 28th, 2016-09:30
But I imagine this watch is a little different from usual pieces and doesn't aim at the same goals. As it is not available anyway, it is more the discovery experience that, if you have the occasion to see, you won't regret I'm sure. Cheers, Mark

With great pleasure I would like to see such a watch.

 
 By: dr.kol : February 28th, 2016-11:46
But to wear... Best, Kari

Sorry with the late reply, I missed this one Kari

 
 By: Mark in Paris : March 22nd, 2016-08:59
I was quite impressed when I saw the pictures and imagined what kind of work it needed but wasn't that much attracted as i could be concerning other watches, even from the same brand. One thing I can tell you is that the experience in the metal is another... 

I have no specific interest

 
 By: dr.kol : March 22nd, 2016-10:51
but naturally I will have a look when an opportunity appears. Best, Kari

wooww..

 
 By: Billy S. : February 28th, 2016-00:31
You're so lucky!!

Yes, I agree!

 
 By: Mark in Paris : February 28th, 2016-09:07
I couldn't keep this for myself and had to share it here, I'm glad you enjoyed it Cheers, Mark

Excellent post mark as usual

 
 By: Mohannad (aka Riddler) : February 28th, 2016-07:36
Personally I\'m not into the whole sapphire thing But of all the versions if I had to choose it would be the 56-02 with suspended movement ala 27-01

I wasn't at all either

 
 By: Mark in Paris : February 29th, 2016-08:22
I could in a way understand it was a nightmare to craft but wasn't excited about it... until I could hold it. Yes the cable supspension -02 is also very nice and especially as it keeps less complications. Thank you for your nice word Riddler, much appreci... 

I love the way it looks

 
 By: HorologyMiami : February 28th, 2016-15:26
But I just can\'t justify the price tag when company\'s like Greubel Forsey, MB&F and Hublot are starting to utilize sapphire for a 1/4 of the price with some watches being more complicated than RM\'s. Just my ¢.02 I guess.

I think that most of us will understand this

 
 By: Mark in Paris : February 29th, 2016-08:27
but, as in cars, boat, planes, I really focused on the watch itself and what it made me feel, without any consideration of price. Like with cars: when I admire a Zonda or a Ferrari, I don't even ask myself if it corners well and parks easily in town, or a... 

Absolutely extraordinary piece

 
 By: JToddH : February 29th, 2016-05:01
I am in awe of this piece. It amazes me how much effort goes into making something look simple. It's as if the line has been erased between the movement and the case which meld into one. The organs appear to almost float within the confines of the case. W... 

I see with pleasure that we share the same approach

 
 By: Mark in Paris : March 1st, 2016-08:32
What you emphasized is exactly one of the elements that strikes most in real: how the movement looks in this case. It is quite magic. Thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts. Cheers, Mark

It has just been made in 5 pieces thus remains difficult to admire indeed.

 
 By: Mark in Paris : March 1st, 2016-08:34
It is the trend of unicorns currently, I imagine it applies here as well. Cheers, Mark

I wonder ...

 
 By: P@trick@Belgium : March 2nd, 2016-14:04
how it compares to the new Hublot Big Bang Saphire in terms of quality and finishing .... and price setting I know the movement in a RM is different in comparison to the standard movement of the Hublot chrono, but still is the price difference only based ... 

Well, my opinion is that, for such "unusual" pieces,

 
 By: Mark in Paris : March 3rd, 2016-07:58
it is first mandatory to have a look in the real, and I would only focus on the work and what it brings as a unique ufo. I think it is so high in pricing that comparing them in a pragmatic way won't get me anywhere. Above 300K€, I personally stop counting... 

very interesting!

 
 By: thomaspp : April 6th, 2016-13:38
thanks.

My pleasure Thomas!

 
 By: Mark in Paris : April 7th, 2016-13:49
Yes, it was interesting to be able to study it and feel how it "works" live. Fascinating Cheers, Mark