BY JOVAN KRSTEVSKI
Richard Mille is one of the few brands that know how to make innovative Haute Horlogerie products that not only pack a strong internal punch but are quite rugged from the outside as well making them capable of handling the daily rigors of everyday life with relative ease. For 2021 Richard Mille has just revealed the new RM 60-01 Automatic Flyback Chronograph Les Voiles de St Barth. This new watch pays a tribute to the Les Voiles St. Barth Richard Mille Regetta competition that was scheduled to be held in April 2021 but has been postponed till next year due to the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic.
At the heart of this watch is the technical tour de force calibre RMAC2, which can be viewed from both the front as well as the rear of the watch. An automatic movement, the RMAC2 operates at 4 Hz and offers a power reserve of around 59 hours. In terms of functions, this movement features a chronograph complication with a Flyback function for immediate reset of the chronograph hand without stopping it, a UTC complication to track an extra time zone, an oversize date, month, annual calendar, and of course regular timekeeping capability. The movement also comes with a variable-geometry rotor to optimize the winding motion of the rotor.
Measuring 50mm in diameter and having a thickness of around 16.33mm, the masculine case on this watch features a four-part construction. To make the watch sit comfortably on the wrist the case has been crafted from lightweight titanium accompanied by some intriguing Carbon TPT inserts. The right side of the case is flanked by two angled chronograph pushers and a unique crown that features a special rotating locking mechanism to avoid accidental actuation of the chronograph function. Red and green indications can be used to identify if the lock is in place or not. The left side of the case is flanked by another pusher that can be used to set the UTC hand. Sitting on top of the case is a rotating bezel with compass markings. The case is water-resistant to 100 meters and is constructed using a labor-intensive process that demands nearly 11 hours of separate operation to be put together.
Coming to dial, what you get here is a great level of transparency, allowing the wearer to experience all the complexity of the movement and witness the gears and levers in action. And while I am personally not a fan of skeletonization, what I love about this watch is how legible it is and how it makes great use of color to do so. For instance, look at how the running second’s indicator at 3, the big date display at 12, and the month display between 4 and 5 use the yellow color to stand out or how the rehaut with the printed tachymeter has been presented in a bright shade of blue. The 24-hour totalizer at 6 features yellow and white markings with a red baton and the GMT markings have also been printed in red and can read using the red arrow tipped hand. For enhanced low light visibility, the semi-skeletonized hands have been painted with luminous paint accompanied by circular lume plots at intervals of 5.
The new Richard Mille RM-60-01 Automatic Flyback Chronograph Les Voiles de St Barth would be accompanied by a black fitted rubber strap and is limited to just 80 pieces. The watch will retail for CHF 185,000.
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