Richard Mille - RM 21-02 Tourbillon Aerodyne

0 0 Monday, 5 December 2022 Edit this post

Presented in a limited edition of just 50 pieces, the new Richard Mille RM 21-02 Tourbillon Aerodyne combines bold design and exceptional materials for a striking look characterised by a case made of Carbon TPT and green Quartz TPT, two exclusive materials with exceptional physical properties but also a distinctive appearance.

Their surfaces display extremely regular undulations, as they are composed of multiple layers of parallel filaments obtained by dividing carbon fiber or silica threads. These layers, with a maximum thickness of 45 microns, are impregnated with black and green matrices then woven on a special machine that modifies the direction of the weft by 45° between layers. Heated to 120°C at a pressure of 6 bars, these materials are then ready to be processed on a CNC machine in Richard Mille’s case factory.

Green Quartz TPT is also used for the caseback while the caseband is made of satin-finished grade 5 titanium with pillars in Carbon TPT. The composition is enlivened by orange accents.

Measuring 42.68 x 50.12 x 14.30 mm, the tripartite case is water resistant to 50 metres / 165 feet, ensured by 2 Nitrile O-ring seals. The case is assembled with 20 spline screws in grade 5 titanium and abrasion-resistant washers in 316L stainless steel.

The orthorhombic honeycomb structure of the baseplate is made of Haynes 214, a nickel-chromium-aluminium-iron alloy, and treated with black PVD. Thanks to its properties, the RM 21-01’s baseplate can offer unsurpassed stiffness, an extremely low thermal expansion coefficient and exceptional torque resistance.

For the bridges, Richard Mille opted for grade 5 titanium, due to its superior rigidity and excellent corrosion resistance. The barrel and tourbillon bridges, consisting of four arms on an openwork circular base edged in gold, are seated in the central crucible of the plate lending them mechanical properties ideally suited to the rotation of these moving parts, while allowing the beauty of the tourbillon to be admired.

The power-reserve indicator is placed in lieu of the number at 11 o’clock, while the torque indicator is symmetrically positioned at 1 o’clock. This makes it possible to know the barrel-spring’s tension and thus optimise the movement’s functioning. Below 5.3 N.mm, the spring is too slack; at the other extreme, above 6.5 N.mm, excessive tension can adversely affect the running of the movement and may even cause damage.

At 4 o’clock we find the function selector, operated by a pusher integrated into the centre of the crown. By pressing it, it is possible to switch from the Neutral (N) position to Winding (W) or Hand-Setting (H).

Finished with a black and gray PVD treatment with hand-polished anglage, the hand-wound Calibre RM21-01 beats at 21.600 vibrations per hour and offers an autonomy of 70 hours.