Richard Mille RM 007 Rose Gold Ladies' Watch Review

Pingtsai's comprehensive "on-the-wrist" review of the Richard Mille RM 007 Ladies' Watch offers a crucial perspective on a timepiece that, at its 2010 release, was often overlooked. Her detailed insights into its design and mechanical sophistication highlight why this model stands as a significant offering in the luxury ladies' watch market, challenging conventional notions of feminine horology.

The RICHARD MILLE Ladies’ Watch RM 007 is an impressive and faithful counterpart to the distinctive RM men’s line of watches.  Exhibiting the same level of sophistication in mechanical ingenuity as well as creative design, the watch consists of an automatic movement with a uniquely designed and patented bi-directional rotor system.  I had the fortunate opportunity of experiencing the RM 007 earlier this year in all its mechanical beauty and wonder.

Richard Mille Ladies' RM 007 in rose gold
An "On-The-Wrist" Review

By Ping Tsai

© September 2010

If ever there was a watch that was capable of transporting my psyche into the emotional mind-frame of a WIS, the RM 007 would be it.  The initial jolt of excitement with the instant fit and contact with the skin on my wrist immediately spruced my dull jaded spirit.  The constant, unconscious, almost involuntary tilt of the head downward in succession with the gentle roll of the wrist all converge into a minute motion melting into stares of admiration.  And finally, the undeniable reluctance to let go, like the temporary farewell bid to a friend in an airport lounge, kept the thoughts lingering on the edge of my mind for days to pass.  The RM 007 certainly encompasses a lot of what the modern woman is looking for in a luxury timepiece from quality and versatility to uniqueness and prestige.  In a modern era where stylish women seem to covet Chanel bags and Louboutin heels, the RM 007 rides along seamlessly with these iconic image adorners.  Taking a closer look at the components of the RM 007, one can witness how well it shines and performs in an intelligent and edgy way. 

Case

The distinguishable tonneau shape of Richard Mille men’s watches was sized down for the women’s version, providing a much better fit for a woman’s wrist.  A lot of times, watch brands will use the same case to create the women’s model of an existing men’s watch and simply add diamonds and more color.  Such is the case with Parmigiani’s Retrograde Perpetual Calendar watches.  Something has to be said about brands that take the time and effort to develop a case, (and movement for that matter), especially for females.  It shows attention to detail and respect for our watch sensitivities.  It says to us that we are important enough for you to devote the time, money and manpower for us to be more comfortable and have our own thing.  It shows that you care and what if anything does a woman respond more to than attention and care.   

I was never able to fully give in to the appeal of my husband’s RM 011.  It wasn’t relatable to me due to its size.  The RM 007 on the other hand is sized perfectly for ladies at 45mm x 31mm.  At first glance, 45mm in case height seems a bit large for a woman’s wrist.  I would have expected a watch of this size to hang over the plane of my wrist.  Due to the curved nature of the case and the absence of lugs, the watch wears smaller than its dimensions.  The 31mm in width is more than wearable for a woman and is also responsible for the smaller wear since it allows the overall visual mass to be less.  The upper surface is slightly curved, then angling downward more sharply towards the edges where the strap connects.  The shape of the case appears to follow the plane and contours of the wrist and creates a sense that the watch is an extension of one’s body. 

It is an elegant yet edgy design.  Looking at the watch I immediately took notice of the polished rose gold surface, a beautiful eye magnet to look at, but a nightmare to keep blemish-free.  I quickly learned that polished metal watches were to be better reserved for long sleeve/jacket accompanied occasions.  Despite this drawback the shiny gold did give the watch a glamorous and luxurious look.  Apparently this RM 007 is one of the newer RM 007’s with a polished case since the cases on prior RM 007 variants are brushed finished.  I was told RM decided to polish finish these new RM 007’s because their market research revealed women preferred the more flashy polished case over the subtle brushed case.  I totally agree!

Straight-on, the lines of the case are soft and subtle. Turning the case to the side reveals the sharp overhang over the brushed sides and polished vertical columns which frame the crown on either side.  This side-view surprise enhances the look of the watch with a touch of architectural modernism reminiscent of bridges while the pillars and vertical grained brushed surface has a heightening effect on the thickness of the case. 

The bezel is decorated with 8 titanium spline screws adding to the modern edgy look.  Without the screws, the case would have looked rather plain.  Screws on the bezel of a watch can often look masculine.  However, this isn’t the case in the RM 007 due to the custom Richard Mille star shaped spline screws which have an unusual shape and aren’t overly masculine.  The shape of the grade 5 titanium spline screws has a functional purpose as well.  It allows for 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.  The screws on the bezel along with 4 additional screws on the case-back hold together the tripartite case which is water resistant to 50 meters and is reinforced by three Nitril O-ring seals with tube driven in and glued.  The titanium screws also aid in securing the movement.  A casing ring is no longer used and the movement is instead mounted on chassis mounting rubbers held by 4 titanium screws.  Although the screws have physical and functional appeal, the downside is that special tools are needed to turn these screws.  Perhaps this is a good thing though since this ensures that only Richard Mille can provide servicing for their watches. 

The rose gold polished crown is cone shaped with an onion crown base.  It has a double seal O-ring and collar in Alcryn.  Although the design of the crown greatly appealed to me, it wasn’t the easiest mechanism to work.  Because of the side overhang of the case, part of the crown is recessed and results in a partial grip of the onion crown base between the fingers making it slightly more difficult to wind.  It’s a minor annoyance however and in this case aesthetic design supersedes functional ease.

The RM 007 was first introduced in 2005 in a full diamond set version which I had the opportunity to try on.  Normally, fully diamond encrusted cases don’t have huge appeal for me.  They often seem too “flashy” and over the top, overshadowing the mechanical workmanship of the watch.  The RM 007 version was stunning however with a delicate luminescence that will automatically light up any woman’s face.  A husband can get himself into trouble if this watch makes a show during a visit to the boutique with his wife. 

Dial

The dial, visible through the double side anti-glare treated sapphire crystal, is one of the most impressive features of the watch.  Composed of multi-layered disks, multiple components and staunch visual depth, it is what gives the watch the signature Richard Mille high-tech, mechanical appearance.  Displaying minute, hour and date functions, the dial is centrally anchored by the visible movement, like a mechanical “heart”.  There is a small circular pinhole near the 7 o’clock position through which one can see the gears moving, almost like a beating heart.  It’s an extremely neat feature that I wish was more visible, perhaps with a bigger opening. 

The hour markers, numerals and date display window float on the top clear plate.  Directly underneath is the sapphire crystal calendar disc displaying the days of the month which are visible through the vertical date aperature at 6 o'clock.  The calendar disc is one of my favorite elements of the RM 007.  The entire wheel is visible and cleverly uses the circular matrix of black numbers as a patterened design motif that creates a subtle backdrop to the foreground numbers.  The geometric shaped cut-outs in the dial add to its illusion of depth and skeletonized nature.  Finishing on the dial, including the movement consists primarily of PVD coating.  

The polished white gold minute and hour hands stand out amongst the dark background but are also subtle due to their simple sword-like shape.  The RM 007 does lack a seconds hand and consequentially isn’t meant for extremely accurate timekeeping and time reading.  There are two carbon fiber flanges on the outer rim of the dial, one with minute markers and the other with numbers marking 5 minute intervals.  These markings aid in reading a close enough estimate of the time and suffice in normal daily life. 

In 2007 several new dials and dial colors were introduced for the RM 007, using different styles of numerals, colored fields and precious stone settings.  I can personally attest to the vast array of dial, color, metal, precious stone combinations that exist for the RM 007.  While examining the ladies line of Richard Mille watches I was presented with a tray that contained more than a dozen different versions of the RM 007.  Some of the designs were out there with colorful gemstones set in various patterns and designs.  One of the main dial options consists of a colored field in the center in the shape of an open elongated barrel that follows the lines of the case.  Some pieces have the color field in mother of pearl and others have it set with diamonds or colored precious stones.  Personally, these dials did not have huge appeal for me.  The movement and calendar wheel have such an interesting look to them that it seems a shame to hide them behind something. 

Movement

The Caliber RM 007 automatic movement is also visible through the large sapphire crystal case back.  From the back view, the movement is more free-formed and lacks a distinct shape.  It doesn’t take long for one to notice the stand alone feature about the watch that can possibly be a person’s sole purpose for purchasing it, the astoundingly unique rotor.  The first glance often leads people to have a “What is that?” moment.  A closer examination is usually followed by, “Wow! That is so cool!”

Contrary to the mechanical look of the rest of the watch, my first observation of the rotor was how “organic” it looked.  It reminded me of a wing, a part of a leaf or even a pea pod.  It was meant to resemble however, and likely inspired by an hourglass with the free-flowing sand passing from one compartment to the other.  In place of sand, which would have surely clogged the mechanisms, tiny gold balls were used.  Specially designed for the RM 007, the rotor is 18-carat gold, satin finished with hand polished surfaces and hand anglage.  The rotor weight consists of more than 100 18-carat gold micro-balls within a transparent PVD coated container.  The compartment is lined with sapphire crystal on one side for visibility of the micro-balls and held together with titanium spline screws. 

According to RM, “This exclusive RICHARD MILLE innovation allows efficient rewinding of the mainspring by the optimal inertial force created. The free moving micro-balls in 18-carat gold found inside the compartment serve to absorb excess energy in case of shocks. In this way large shockwaves that normally could have devastating effects on the rotor are therefore reduced and this safeguards the system’s mechanism.”  The rotor is also fitted with a patented auto-reverse system integrated into the rotor ball bearing.  It allows for a minimal amount of space to be occupied by the rotor and the narrow dead reverse angle of only 7° when the rotor changes direction.  Finally, something mechanical in a women’s watch that men can be envious of.  Usually watch technology is borrowed from the men’s side.  Rarely is it developed solely for a ladies model, especially at this caliber and level of uniqueness and complication.  It’s nice to possess technology that impresses men and that they might even want because let’s face it, the diamonds and colorful gems just aren’t doing it.  

Also, the gears in the movement have a corrected gear teeth profile.  The new central involutes profile of the teeth ensures effective rotary motion and allows the compensation of possible variations in the engagement of the going train.  This allows for excellent torque transmission and results in improved performance.  The gear wheels are also gilded before cutting the teeth resulting in minimum correction being carried out to the wheels also preserving geometry and performance.  It was difficult to measure due to the absence of a seconds hand but in terms of accuracy, the watch was never off by more than a minute over a period of 3 weeks of wear. 

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

-        DIAMETER: 29.90 X 22 mm

-        THICKNESS: 4.73 mm

-        NUMBER OF RUBIES: 24

-        FREQUENCY: 21,600 A/h (3Hz)

-        ANTICHOC: Kif

-        INDEX ASSEMBLY WITH FINE ADJUSTMENT

-        BARREL SHAFT: Nivaflex M

-        AUTONOMY MINIMUM: 38 hours

-        CROWN WITH 3 POSITIONS:

·        Manual winding

·        Quick date change

·        Time setting with stop seconds

OSCILLATOR

-        BALANCE SPRING: en GLUCYDUR, 2 arms, PVD coating

-        BALANCE SPRING DIAMETER: 7,50 mm

-        INERTIA MOMENT: 3.24 mg/cm2. Lever angle: 49°

-        FLAT BALANCE SPRING

-        MONOCRYSTAL RUBY PALLET STONE

-        PALLET WHEEL: 20 teeth

ESCAPEMENT

-        FLAT BALANCE SPRING

-        BALANCE WHEEL: GLUCYDUR, 2 arms, PVD coating

-        BALANCE WHEEL DIAMETER: 7.50 mm

-        INERTIA MOMENT: 3.24 mg cm2, lever angle 49°

-        MONOCRYSTAL RUBY PALLET STONE

FINISHING

-        Bottom plate and bridges in titanium, wet sandblasted

-        PVD coating

-        Burnished pivots

-        Satin-finished surfaces

Strap and Fit

I chose a white reinforced fabric strap for the RM 007 although it also comes available with leather or crocodile.  I’ve tried watches with white fabric-like straps before.  Some have more of a satin feel to them, others more plastic-y.  This one was somewhere in between.  It was smooth and silky but felt more like nylon and was extremely comfortable to wear and held up well against soiling.

The strap is linked to the case by a Ryton insert, a plastic material with outstanding resistance.  The curved nature of the case and absence of lugs made the watch extremely comfortable to wear as well.  It allowed for a closer fit to the wrist and minimal movement or sliding around during wear.  The white strap I had came with a gold tang buckle but it is available with a double deployant buckle in gold that has a double spring system with safety catch. 

Conclusion

RICHARD MILLE claims that the RM 007 was developed with the same philosophy of technical perfection as the rest of the collection.  After three weeks of being suspended in horologic bliss, I can certainly see how they would have the confidence to make such a statement.  As much thought was put into the design and fabrication of the exterior of the watch as the interior mechanisms that power it.  The artistic workmanship resulted in a quality timepiece that exhibits the highest levels of technological innovation and reliable performance. Richard Mille is a brand that women could easily fall in love with.  Attention is paid to details – the sizing, the contours of our wrists, the need to look glamorous from time to time and most importantly, the desire to feel special.  RM obliged with the way they shaped the case, the finishes that were applied to the precious metals, the elegant use of diamonds and gemstones and a specially made movement and rotor.  There is no big secret to making us happy.  Simply follow the same RM formula and you should be all set.
       

Author's FTC Disclosure:  This Richard Mille RM 007 watch was obtained on loan from RM USA.  I initiated the loan request and did not and will not receive any direct compensation nor special considerations from RM USA for this review.  Thank you to RICHARD MILLE for allowing me to review this watch.

Additional Pictures

Copyright September 2010 - Ping Tsai &  PuristSPro.com - all rights reserved

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