The original RM016 was introduced in 2007, so as it came of age, it was time for a bit of a makeover. After 18 years, the Richard Mille RM016-02 Automatic Extraflat has been released with an improved movement, modern graphics for the dial, and new materials for the case. In all, a very effective and vibrant overhaul of the first ultra-thin Richard Mille watch.
For a brand that concentrated on the height of the mechanical architecture, the launch of the RM016 was a bold move, as this time Richard Mille was looking at making the watch as flat as possible. The mechanism had to be spatially extended along the horizontal plane in order to create a different aesthetic on the wrist. The RM016 was always a style statement.
The Richard Mille RM016-02 in Terracotta Quartz TPT®
The RM016 was also the first rectangular watch in the Richard Mille collection. Its distinctive design with its extra-flat profile was still tapered to fit the wrist, and despite the dimensions of the case (38mm x 49.8mm) it found a unisex appeal with men and women. The demand was such that several limited and special editions followed. A variety of new finishes were applied to the case, from materials usually found in the aerospace, automobile and medical industries, such as Titalyt® (in 2009), to diamonds and other gem-set orders.
The new Richard Mille RM016-02 has been completely rethought. The design inspiration is very much in line with current sentiments in the luxury watch sector. It stems from Brutalist architecture with a unique urban aesthetic, where movement plates and dial graphics draw on interlaced forms that suggest a maze or labyrinth.
The component parts of the new RM016-02 showing the movement plates and the new case material
More contemporary in style, the RM 16-02 boasts a wealth of technical sophistication beneath the sober exterior. The manufacture and assembly of the case’s three sections still require 202 separate machining operations, while the case material, the movement and dial, are all new.
There is a new in-house calibre CRMA9, which is a skeletonised automatic winding movement with hours, minutes, and date. The variable geometry of the newly designed unidirectional rotor – exclusively developed by Richard Mille – allows the movement’s winding mechanism to be optimised and personalised to the owner’s lifestyle.
Piecing the RM016-02 in Terracotta Quartz TPT® together, with its geometrically shaped adjustable geometry rotor.
For the new calibre, Richard Mille created a “Mondrianesque” visual pattern of black grid lines. The skeletonised baseplate in microblasted grade 5 titanium with a grey electroplasma coating covers the entire visible surface of the watch while the minute bridge is finished in black PVD. The 67 chamfered apertures allow the light through so the movement can be admired from both the dial and the caseback. The numerals are based around a thread-like decal that interplays through the skeletonised maze of the movement, bringing the hours to life and giving extra depth to the three-dimensional aspect of the depth of the watch.
Dial of the RM016-02 showing the particular design of the hour markers.
Available in two versions, one in full grade 5 titanium with microblasted, satin finishing and polished bevels, and the other – mores sporty – in Terracotta Quartz TPT®. Cleverly, Richard Mille has reduced the overall dimensions of the watch by 10 percent, so the case is now 36mm x 45.65mm, making it more amenable to wrists of almost any size. Above and beyond its technical attributes, that watch has a 30-metre water resistance.
Author: Andrew Hildreth
If you like Richard Mille watches, you may like to read about the Richard Mille RM 65-01 McLaren W1 and the Richard Mille RM032 Automatic Flyback Chronograph Ultimate Edition.
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