Richard Mille presents the RM 16-02 Extra-Flat Automatic, a daring reinterpretation of the RM 016 that fuses aesthetic purity and mechanical complexity.
The new Richard Mille The RM 16-02 Automatic Extra-Flat is available in two versions, with a titanium case or in the unusual Quartz TPT Terracotta. This watch represents a significant evolution of the Maison's rectangular case models.
The ultra-flat (by company standards) 36 x 45.65 mm case of the 10% is more compact than its predecessor (overall thickness is 9.50 mm) and offers optimised ergonomics, without affecting the reliability of the mechanics. The movement is equipped with a platinum oscillating weight with titanium inertial blocks, and is mounted on ceramic bearings. Bridges and plate are made of grade 5 titanium and the autonomy is 50 hours.
Richard Mille calibre CRMA9: the 15th manufacture movement
It is an ultra-flat calibre specially designed for the new RM 16-02 Automatic Extra-Flat.
At the heart of the watch is the CRMA9 calibre (28,800 vibrations per hour, 4.12 mm thick), the fifteenth movement manufactured by Richard Mille, specifically developed for this model.
In particular, the skeleton plate made of grade 5 titanium that has been micro-bead-blasted with a grey electroplasma surface coating has 67 openings of different sizes, requiring almost two hours of milling for each piece and dozens of manual operations. The movement is also visible from the back side, thanks to an anti-reflective sapphire window.
The hour markers, made with an innovative flush decal, appear as floating elements on the skeleton movement, creating a 'labyrinthine' effect. Water resistance is guaranteed up to 30 metres.
Finally, the version with a Quartz TPT Terracotta case introduces a new shade obtained through an innovative process. Layers of silica wires only 45 microns in diameter are impregnated with coloured matrix, overlaid at 45° and heated to 120°C at 6 bar pressure. The raw composite, once milled, is placed on a base made of ivory-coloured Quartz TPT. The strap, in both versions, is made of rubber.
Price225,000 euro.
