Mayfair was always the place in London for the craftsmen and artisans. And for the sporting gentleman with the racing machines parked outside their London abode. About a century ago this was the area where you could have your suits tailored, your car given the necessary coachwork, and ordered a set of guns. It was the place where the craftsmen worked; the last remnants of which are to be found in James Purdey and Son on South Audley Street. Fittingly, a number of watch boutiques have also moved into the area in recent times: the most notable newcomer being Richard Mille. Although the official opening is not for another six weeks or so, the Boutique is open for business and has been for about a week.



Despite the modernist approach in the décor for any Richard Mille Boutique, the aesthetics and minimalist design inside work well with the late nineteenth century buildings. Every detail has been worked into the Richard Mille aesthetic: from the stair case railings to the display cabinets. The Boutique has a lounge area at the rear to examine the watches, a front area where you are greeted, and watches that are limited editions. Although I arrived the morning of day two, watches had already been sold! Hence, the watch photographs are a little limited.



The watches available at the Boutique range from the starting point of the Richard Mile range all the way up to the very limited editions and unique (Boutique only) pieces.







This is the second Richard Mille Boutique for London; the other located in Harrods Watch Room. As such it is another indicator of the strength of the London watch market that while the watch industry generally has stood still, Richard Mille, and the London watch market for that matter, continue to grow.



As well as the watches, there is a considerable range of straps from which to choose from: everything from crocodile to stringray, from Kevlar to vulcanized rubber:





Three watches really stood out. The RM057 Tourbillon Dragon Jackie Chan with its baseplate of black onyx and golden dragon engraved bridges with coloured scales that grip the tourbillon bridge in one of its claws. Under the lights, the design and pattern of the dragons stood out.



RM 030 Le Mans with a white Kevlar strap. Although I had seen this watch at the Le Mans Classic, with the white strap the watch looked more pronounced.



And the star of the bunch: the RM031 High Performance calibre. This was the first time I had actually had a chance to see this watch and to put it on the wrist. It is an exceedingly rare beast as there are only 10 examples made. Although the base calibre is obviously the AP Direct Impulse Escapement, and the drive train is obviously one and the same, the watch has been completely reworked by Richard Mille. There is a three-dimensional aspect to the movement that is missed unless you see the watch up close. The bridges and plates have been machined from ARCAP. There is a level of finishing on the watch that is the out of the very top draw: as always Richard has used a mix of microblasting, black polishing, and beveling edges to enhance the three-dimensional aspects of the movement. The case is solid platinum and at 50mm in diameter, the watch has heft on the wrist. But despite the size, it is comfortable on the wrist. The RM031 is chronometric performance: a Richard Mille interpretation of what Observatory chronometers once were. The watch loses or gains less than a second a day.











Next time you are ‘in town’ be sure to call round. You are assured a warm welcome. Located in a beautiful part of London, and for those who do buy a Richard Mille, you can go sit in Mount Street Gardens (just around the corner) to admire your new watch!

Andrew H This message has been edited by 219 on 2014-10-20 07:41:31