Richard Mille Introduces New Sapphire Crystal Case Designed for the RM75-01 Movement A precious box, crystal clear.

Richard Mille continues to lead contemporary watchmaking with the RM 75-01 Flying Tourbillon Sapphire Crystal watch collection. This collection once again demonstrates the brand's technical authority and creative independence. More than a decade ago, in 2012, Richard Mille launched the world's first all-sapphire crystal watch, establishing its undisputed excellence in the field of sapphire. The RM 75-01 opens a new chapter in the brand's sapphire story, with its movement specifically designed for a perfect fit to the sapphire crystal case—a first in the brand's history.

Designed by Cecil Gennet and his team, the collection draws inspiration from two distinct realms: Gothic architecture and the natural flow of water. These homages to architecture and nature are reflected in the watch's shape and color scheme. The case is meticulously crafted from a single piece of sapphire crystal, and is available in three limited editions: one with a transparent sapphire crystal case (limited to 15 pieces), and two with either a blue or pale purple sapphire crystal case back (each limited to 10 pieces).

All three collections feature a new sapphire crystal case. The sea-green rubber strap accentuates the perfect clarity of the transparent sapphire crystal watch, while the colored sapphire crystal case backs—pale purple reminiscent of a South China Sea sunset, and striking sapphire blue—create a dreamy, fantastical, and creative atmosphere.

“We treated each element as an architectural work of art,” notes Cecil Gainnett, Creative and Development Director at Richard Mille. “The harmony of light and dark, along with the careful selection of materials, creates a dynamic and captivating visual effect.”

The skeletonized RM 75-01 movement is visually striking, housing a flying tourbillon and mainspring barrel without an upper bridge. The movement's structure is inspired by an arched dome, featuring a micro-blasted red gold bezel supported by satin-polished titanium pillars. SuperLuminova luminous coating and a red gold upper bezel add structural presence and definition to this skeletonized movement, even in low-light conditions.

This movement maintains its consistently exquisite craftsmanship, its lightweight structure possessing remarkable stability. It employs a multi-layered baseplate with clean, flowing geometric shapes, adding depth and dimension to the mechanical structure. Gold-plated PVD titanium bridges stabilize the movement's structure, contrasting sharply with the rhodium-plated gears.

The processing of sapphire crystal is no small feat. Second only to diamond in hardness, it demands extremely high precision in machining and polishing. Introducing color through metal oxides further complicates the process, as even the slightest variation during growth can lead to imperfections, making each finished case a technical achievement in itself. Creating a single RM 75-01 sapphire crystal case requires over 1000 hours of processing time, including 40 consecutive days of polishing. Nearly a third of the time is spent polishing, and the curved design and structural supports of the case further increase the difficulty of polishing.

The perfect transparency of the sapphire crystal glass completely showcases the new movement on the dial—this fully skeletonized RM75-01 movement features a flying tourbillon and a flying mainspring barrel. The movement is completely encased in sapphire crystal glass, revealing itself to the world with stunning clarity.

Technical Specifications: Richard Mille RM 75-01 Flying Tourbillon Sapphire Crystal Watch
Movement: Manual-winding RM 75-01 caliber; 65-hour power reserve; Functions: Hours, minutes; Case: 32.9 mm × 46.75 mm × 14.35 mm; Sapphire crystal glass; Water resistant to 30 meters; Dial: 5N red gold case, polished and micro-blasted steel hour markers; hour markers filled with certified luminescent material; Strap: Rubber strap, available in sea green, lilac, or white.