Richard Mille, the inventor of sapphire crystal watches, continues to the adventure that started with the RM056 with ladies’ timepieces also. One of the most magnificent women’s watches ever, Richard Mille RM 07-02 Automatic Pink Lady Sapphire is under the spotlight.
The sapphire crystal case Richard Mille models are known as the watches with the most expensive list prices in the brand’s collection. This is due the cost of producing the case, as well as the cost of the material used in the case production reaching astronomical levels. For each sapphire crystal case, cutting and finishing operations are required on ultra-precise CNC milling machines that exceed 40 days of continuous operation. Moreover, these operations must be done with great care as the slightest error may fail the entire production process. Aside from the difficulty of processing sapphire crystal blocks made of synthetic fibers, designing this material to allow it to be used as a watchcase brings with it a whole new set of challenges. Richard Mille uses the sapphire crystal with the highest quality standards found on the market. Yes, there is a lot of difference between the sapphire used on any Swiss production watch crystal and the one that Richard Mille uses. The production of the pink colored sapphire crystal used for RM07-02’s case -measuring 46,75mm x 32,90mm x 14,35mm- with the desired transparency is another story.
After all these difficulties have been overcome, the assembly process of the three-piece (bezel, middle part and case back) sapphire crystal case begins. The hardness rating of the sapphire crystal that Richard Mille uses is 1800 Vickers. Leaving the technical details aside, we are talking about a virtually scratch-proof timepiece here. Despite being very resistant to aging, the RM07-02 is prone to breaking piece when compared to watches made from other materials. The production process includes more than 40 days, 430 hours of parts shaping and 350 hours of polishing. After all operations, the case is assembled with 2 pieces of Nitrile gasket and 24 pieces of Grade 5 titanium screw allowing waterproofing rating of 30 meters.
Richard Mille uses Tourbillon movements with complex structures in sapphire crystal-case men’s models. The RM07-02, a women’s model, is powered by the Caliber CRMA5, which is far from complications but still attracts attention with its glorious design. There are hundreds of diamonds in the CRMA5, where the main plate and bridges are made of 18 carat gold. Richard Mille features a system called variable rotor geometry that calibrates the speed of the winding according to the physical activity of the user during the day. The system in CRMA5 is controlled by fixing the screws on the rotor and the weight in different positions. The 25-jewel movement, which measures 29.9mm x 22mm x 5.05mm, beats at a frequency of 4Hz (28.800vph) and 50 hours of power reserve when fully wound.
Richard Mille RM07-02 Pink Lady is named after the Pink Lady cocktail which symbolizes the woman’s power in male-dominated society since 1930s. Today, you must be stronger(!) than you would expect to have RM07-02, because the price tag on the model is over € 1,000,000. Let me give you the recipe for the strong women than; 3cl Gin, 1,5cl Apple Brandy, 1 egg whites, half lemon juice, 2 teaspoons Grenadine and of course a Richard Mille RM07-02.
