Haute Complication: Richard Mille RM 72-01

In the collection of Richard Mille is the RM 72-01 a landmark creation, as it was the very first timepiece of the brand featuring an in-house movement. As is traditional with Mille, they went all in and created something extraordinary. Not only in a mechanical sense but also with the use of innovative materials, all combined in a unique design that makes it instantly recognizable as a watch from the coveted brand.

For the movement, Richard Mille combined familiar aspects with new ingredients. The baseplate and bridges are crafted from grade 5 titanium and skeletonized. Its refined finish of micro-blasting with a grey electro plasma treatment gives it a high-tech appearance. It also lives up to this as it features a patented mechanism for the flyback chronograph. Thanks to two oscillating pinions, the power for the chronograph is directly drawn from the mainspring barrel. In essence, it separates the regular timekeeping function from the chronograph complication enabling better performance for each of them. With most chronographs, when they are activated, the amplitude, and therefore their precision, drops as the main gear train all of a sudden also needs to power this complication. Mille cleverly found a solution for this, which has the added advantage that it is less bulky, so the overall movement can be thinner.

In terms of design is the RM 72-01 also a trailblazer. It combines the familiar tonneau case with its spline screws to secure the bezel with a unique dial layout. The different subdials are all color-coded, with those of the chronograph placed above each other on the right side of the dial. They are complemented by a large date and a function selector. This is another hallmark feature of a Richard Mille and gives owners the option to select if they want to use the crown to wind the watch or set the time. All combined does it make the RM 72-01 a very impressive chronograph and another landmark creation for Richard Mille.