Richard Mille Introduces A New Version Of The RM 63-02 Worldtimer, In Titanium And Red Gold

While there are an enormous number of ways to do a dual time, or GMT, complication, the design vocabulary for almost all world time watches is based on a design from the 1930s – specifically, on the design created by Louis Cottier in 1931, and which can be seen today in world time watches by Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and a few others. This system uses a revolving 24 hour disk, inside a moveable disk with the names of 24 different reference cities, in 24 time zones one hour apart. The city disk has the wearer’s current time zone at 12:00, and as the 24 hour disk rotates, it continuously shows the time in all 24 time zones. If the wearer travels to a different time zone, the current local city can be updated with a pusher in the case which advances the city disk, hour hand, and 24 hour disk in one hour increments, simultaneously. The system works well and is simple to set and use, and its only real disadvantage is that there is inevitably a certain family similarity between all true world time watches (and some non-world time watches as well; there are GMT watches which have a 24 city reference indication, but which do not have a constantly driven 24 hour disk, and which therefore can only show the time in two different time zones).

The new RM 63-02 Worldtimer takes a somewhat different approach to the world time complication. Instead of using a pusher to change the reference city, position of the 24 hour ring, and hour hand, the RM 63-02 uses the bezel, which can be rotated counterclockwise, in order to make one hour adjustments. This particular take on the complication was first introduced by Richard Mille in the RM 63-02 in grade 5 titanium, in 2015, although the bezel setting system for the world time complication goes all the way back to 2013, when it appeared in the RM 58-01 Tourbillon Worldtimer. (The IWC Timezoner appears at first glance to be a world time watch with a reference city bezel; however there is no driven 24 hour disk and the watch is actually a GMT complication).

The RM 63-02 also includes a big date display with two separate disks, although the date doesn’t update with the worldtime indication – instead, it’s quickset, via a pusher at 10:00.

The crown also has Richard Mille’s function selector – position one is neutral; two is for winding and position three is for hand setting.

The RM 63-02 remains a large, thick watch, at 47mm x 13.85mm, although as Tim Mosso notes in his video review of the titanium version, the original watch wears light for its size. The new version’s will be noticeably heavier, of course, thanks to the red gold lugs and bezel, but probably not so much as to make the watch uncomfortable to wear – the effect in comparison to the titanium version is more apt to be one of reassuring mass rather than ursine heft. The sharp downward curvature of the lugs and strap also makes a close fit on a smaller wrist; this new titanium and red gold version is probably aimed at those RM fans who want something a little more opulent and less technical in feel than a straight shot of titanium. (The mainplate and bridges are in grade 5 titanium as well).

Construction is classic Richard Mille as well and includes the five spline screws, curved caseback, and the use of dark galvanic coatings on the movement plates and bridges. The general aesthetic of Richard Mille watches is essentially diametrically opposed to – well, just about any kind of traditional watch design and movement finishing that you can think of, but of course, that’s the whole point. Richard Mille has been around long enough for its aesthetic to have long since become an institution in modern watchmaking but it’s still obvious, especially in the context of the revival over the last few years of interest in classic movement finishing, that the design codes of RM began as an act of rebellion against long established practices, with the watches having the feel of series produced prototypes – Formula One cars for the wrist, as RM puts it.

The RM 63-02 in gold and titanium lists for CHF 220,000 and is a limited edition of 100 pieces.

The Richard Mille RM 63-02 in titanium and red gold: case, 47.00mm x 13.85mm; red gold and grade 5 titanium; sapphire crystals front and back; water resistance 30 meters. Movement, automatic caliber CRMA4, 33.50mm x 7.73mm, running in 37 jewels at 28,800 vph; baseplate and bridges in grade 5 titanium; semi-instantaneous big date display; bezel adjustment for the time zone; freesprung balance; fast rotating barrel with 50 hour power reserve. Price, CHF 220,000; limited edition of 100 pieces worldwide. See it at RichardMille.com.