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MTF - where to start....
Obviously, in any market, there is the price of choice. Choice is what it is all about. However, at first sight, and at first impact, the use of the esoteric materials and metals seems obvious. Find another metal or material not used before, manufacture the watch part(s), and test in the watch. However, not quite as easy. At times, it takes years for Richard to get an idea right. Sure, he has the idea, but then the material and/or technique takes time to work out. Most of the limited series tourbillon watches have taken 18 - 24 months to work out on the materials alone. The extreme example of this was the RM018 with the gear train from semi-precious stones.
The upshot is that the price of the watches at the extreme end of the spectrum owes a great deal of their price to materials and use in the watch; as well as a dose of price of choice and exclusivity. But was it ever thus on the latter point??
The limited series is a by-product of the fact that the materials are hard to use and deal with along with a true limited series in which there are only a hand full in existence. It is the business of exclusivity and uniqueness. Both watch manufacturers and collectors are guilty!
Thanks
Andrew H
“Wings of Desire”: Richard Mille’s RM021/RM022 and Orthorhombic Titanium Aluminide.
[The baseplate for the RM021. As described below, the simplicity of its appearance belies the techniques and technology that underlie its production] [One of only 5 in the world: this one at Harrods RM Boutique in London, the new stealth watch from Richar...
so cool!!
thank you for the fascinating post!! worth a trip to Harrods (if its still there!!)
Not sure if the watch is still there. But yes, worth the
trip to Harrods to see it. And then there is always tea at La Duree! Andrew H
Debate in the Spirit of PuristS
Dear Andrew, First, thank you to you and Harrods for the review. Initially, I thought it churlish to criticise the watch as it was so generously 'exposed' to a PuristSPro review. I decided to keep my counsel with 'masterly inactivity' and 'let sleeping do...
MTF - where to start....
Obviously, in any market, there is the price of choice. Choice is what it is all about. However, at first sight, and at first impact, the use of the esoteric materials and metals seems obvious. Find another metal or material not used before, manufacture t...
I have a lot...
...of admiration for Richard Mile, his eye for design, his interest in high performance materials, and innovative construction. I don't always like the finished product from a design standpoint, but I can always identify aspects of every model that I enjo...
Thanks Daos. There is more to Richard Mille watches than
meets that initial eye contact. The orthorhombic baseplate is something of a pain to deal with; much easier for watch firms to have a blank and a CNC machine to limit costs. But then, that was never Richard. Always push for the boundary of what is possibl...
Exceptional.
It's an amazing work from RM and it was delightful to read this report as we have all the information needed to understand what is unique in this watch and how challenging is the manufacturing process. I had many questions to ask when I started reading it...
Actually, the weight of the watch and the price in terms of gold
was my sound-bite! Perhaps Richard should have used it (:)), but I found out the fact when researching the use of the orthorhombic titanium and the carbon nano fibre in the B-2 bomber. There is a fact(oid) on the aeronautic enthusiast pages that states th...
Carbon is definitely the way to go.
... at least to me after seeing the "coolness" of 027. It is light and I wouldn't really have to care about the scratch or anything like that. It would be my everyday watch, if my bank account allow, which it doesn't now .... :-( Great article, Andrew. Ke...
My bank account does not allow for it either. But for a
few moments the watch was on the wrist. It is an amazing feeling; a watch that looks metallic and therefore, your mind tells you, it should be heavy, but you can hardly feel it on the wrist. Amazing watches from RM! Andrew H
Interesting
I recall seeing the watch at SIHH and liking the look/feel very much. The complexities of the material were not explained; reminds me of the AluSiC case of the RM009. What ever will happen if the plate is damaged during servicing and needs replacement? I ...
First, the baseplate, as with the ALUSIC, is in a material
that is extremely resilient. Admittedly the ALUSIC cases are very expensive to manufacture and in much the same vein as the orthorhombic baseplate, but the baseplate costs and technology are not quite at the outside edge as the RM009 case was. Hence, if t...
If NASA should ever reactivate . . .
. . . the Lockheed SR-71 . . . . . . Richard should leave no stone unturned to get an RM21 on the pilot's wrist. While reading your article, the legacy of the Blackbird came to mind. Fashioned from titanium, it represented the cutting edge of aviation tec...
Ahh yes, a plane from my childhood... The pilots would
recognise the materials and the watch would be a must. Are any of the SR-71's still flying? Thought they were all decommissioned. Andrew H
They've all been decommissioned, as far as I know . . .
. . . but if the battleships Iowa and New Jersey were re-commissioned after a good use was found for them, it's not too far-fetched to imagine a similar outcome for the SR-71.