Richard Mille weave an interesting story, when they try to describe the evolution of the Richard Mille RM 33-02 Automatic watch. Calling it both ‘essential and logical’ to give their attention to collections that are ready for the next revamp, the evolution of RM 011 inspiring the RM 11-03, forms as a base for this new timepiece.
For all practical purposes, the RM 33-02 is a new interpretation of the RM 033, which is Richard Mille’s first ultra-thin round watch. Explaining their thought-process for the revamp, Richard Mille believe in maintaining the the original version by only accentuating its lines, however, the aesthetics have been worked upon.
Synthesis Between ‘Lifestyle’ Style and Sporty Style
The original ultra-thin round RM 033 that was introduced in 2011. With this new timepiece, what the watchmakers are trying to do is merge the performance of a sports watch with the elegance of a round timepiece.
By re-assessing its place in the collection, Richard Mille has managed to maintain a sporty outlook that features a ‘refined interior’, that is complemented by the sporting heritage. What we have on the wrist is a dial that spans the entire calibre and it hosts oversized numerals that enhance the readability of the watch.
The numerals on the RM 33-02 are crafted from solid metal, and the dial is housed in a 41.70 mm case, which is tad smaller than the original.
The Design and Execution of the Watch
The front and back bezels of the watch have been crafted from Carbon TPT, which is a very intriguing material, as its made by layering hundreds of sheets of carbon fibres. The entire process is automated and it changes the orientation of the weft between layers.
The caseband of the watch is made in 5N red gold and the tripartite case is assembled with 14 spline screws in grade 5 titanium and abrasion-resistant washers in 316L stainless steel. The watch is water resistant to 30 meters, and under the dial is an automatic caliber RMXP1 which is a skeletonize movement made from grade-5 titanium.
Limited to 140 timepieces, it sells for $145,000.