It’s a Woman’s World too
Largely known for its robust, high-tech watches seen on the wrists of sporting legends like Rafa Nadal and Felipe Massa, Richard Mille has been upping its game in haute horology for women over the last few years. It introduced its first automatic tourbillon movement, Calibre CRMT1 in the RM 71-01, a ladies’ watch designed by the brand’s creative director Cécile Guenat in 2018. The bold, unexpected move earned Richard Mille some rave reviews from collectors across the globe. Since then, Guenat has enthralled the women watch collecting community with a slew of launches that included the candy-inspired Bonbon collection in 2019 and the RM 71-02 released in November last year.
RM 07-01 Automatic Starry Night
The brand’s fresh launches for 2021 include two stunning pieces in the RM 07-01 collection for ladies. The watch’s tonneau-shaped case has seen some amazing variations in the past—right from Carbon TPT® to gem-set ceramic—and this year, Richard Mille has taken its obsession of marrying cutting-edge materials with complex stone-setting to another level in the RM 07-01 Automatic Starry Night. Dressed up with 181 diamonds, the Carbon TPT® case of this timepiece demonstrates the brand’s exceptional skills in stone-setting.
Unlike gold, which can be easily worked around to make those tiny prongs to hold precious stones, the Carbon TPT®requires a much more elaborate process involving CNC machines equipped with diamond bits to make the right cavities for stone setting. Once this is achieved, the craftsmen make hand-polished prongs in red gold that are manually embedded in the case to hold the stones in place. This highly time-consuming technique is what gives the watch its beautiful diamond-speckled appearance and therefore the name—Starry Night.
Interestingly, Richard Mille introduced its first Carbon TPT® bracelet in the RM 07-01 Ladies’ in 2019. Conceptualised and designed over 13 months, the bracelet has a complex architecture that combines a skeleton made of grade 5 titanium with dozens of carbon TPT® plates secured by Richard Mille’s signature spline screws. Extremely supple and light—weighing just 29 grams—the bracelet adds to the charm of the Starry Night, which is sporty and glamorous at the same time.
RM 07-01 Open-link Red Gold and Carbon TPT® Bracelet
The other launch in this collection is the RM 07-01 open-link red gold and Carbon TPT® bracelet with a fancy open-linkband. While the watch case (in Carbon TPT®) exudes the same sporty vibe as the Starry Night, it is the bracelet that makes all the difference in this timepiece. The intertwined bracelet offers a nice play of matte and shiny finishes thanks to the two contrasting materials used for the links.
As far as the movement goes, both the watches are powered by the in-house Calibre CRMA2, a skeletonised automatic movement with hours, minutes and a variable-geometry rotor. Specifically designed for the RM 07-01 collection, the CRMA2 promises a power reserve of nearly 50 hours.
Though I prefer my watches without diamonds, I love the way Richard Mille has brought in the bling element in the Starry Night. The extraordinary gem-set star motifs on the Carbon TPT® are a reflection of Richard Mille’s commitment towards offering women the best of both worlds.
Technical Specifications
RM 07-01 Automatic Starry Night
Case: Carbon TPT®
Bracelet: Carbon TPT®
Movement: Calibre CRMA2
Power Reserve: 50 hours
Price: USD 268,000
Technical Specifications
RM 07-01 Open-link Red Gold and Carbon TPT® Bracelet
Case: Carbon TPT® and 5N red gold
Bracelet: Carbon TPT® and 5N red gold.
Movement: Calibre CRMA2
Power Reserve: 50 hours
Price: USD 226,000
Both models are available exclusively at Richard Mille boutiques worldwide.
