Richard Mille’s RM 07-02 Pink Lady Sapphire Watch
A technically advanced, hand-decorated timepiece inspired by a cocktail
One might not be surprised to learn that most technical advancements in watchmaking (and their subsequent application) occur regarding men’s pieces. This is true of many brands, including Swiss innovator Richard Mille—and yet, with their brand new RM 07-02 Pink Lady Sapphire Watch they’ve taken a technical advancement they introduced to men’s watches in 2012 and applied it in a grand, updated form for a piece intended for women. The Pink Lady features a case crafted entirely from a rich pink sapphire crystal (most often used for high-end lenses). Multiple sections machined from the same crystal source come together with a balance of feminine attributes and Mille’s tonneau-style industrial structure. Altogether, it’s as technologically advanced as it is visually captivating.
Some 40 days and near 800 hours go into machining the ultra-hard crystal. The pieces are then united by grade five titanium spline screws. The case itself is 32.9mm wide and 46.75mm long and holds a new proprietary Richard Mille caliber CRMA5 movement (capable of storing up 50 hours of power). Every thing else comes down to design flourishes—from diamond-set gold bridges in the rotor to satin-finished upper surfaces. More than an exposed caseback, the entire piece is skeletonized and reveals the magnificent inner-workings. Back in the 1930s, the Pink Lady cocktail was introduced in an effort to modernize a society of men’s clubs and open doors for women. With this watch, Mille aims to do something parallel: provide a piece of technically-advanced haute horlogerie to women, by creating one that holds the women’s market to the same level of respect.
The RM 07-02 Pink Lady Sapphire Watch will be available for £678,571 at Richard Mille retailers.
Images courtesy of Richard Mille
