RM 11-02
USEFUL AND VALUABLE COMPLICATION
Luxury products that have no genuine purpose have never interested us. We have always considered that the functions we integrate in our watches must be truly useful and valuable for users. Each component is part of the aesthetic expression of this functionality.
The Dual Time Zone clearly embodies this philosophy, since people who travel all over the world need to be able to situate themselves in time over the course of their journeys.
RM 11-02 AUTOMATIC CHRONOGRAPH
CALIBRE RMAC1
Skeletonised automatic winding movement with hours, minutes, seconds at 3 o’clock, oversize date, month, flyback chronograph with minutes and countdown counters at 9 o’clock, hour counter at 6 o’clock, UTC function and variable-geometry rotor.
POWER RESERVE
Circa 55 hours (± 10%), 45 hours with chronograph running. Actual power reserve results will depend on chronograph usage.
BASEPLATE AND BRIDGES MADE OF GRADE 5 TITANIUM
The baseplate and bridges are crafted of grade 5 titanium, a biocompatible, highly corrosion-resistant and remarkably rigid alloy, which enables the gear train to function effortlessly. The alloy is 90% grade 5 titanium, 6% aluminium and 4% vanadium. This combination further increases the material’s mechanical properties, which explains its frequent use in the aerospace, aeronautics and automotive industries. The baseplate of the RMAC1 calibre has been optimised for an extremely low weight/resistance ratio.
The skeletonised baseplate and the bridges were subjected to intensive and complete validation tests to optimise their resistance capacities.
UTC FUNCTION
The RM 11-02 features an additional superluminova-filled hand that can be used to indicate either UTC or a second time zone.
FLYBACK CHRONOGRAPH
Under the bonnet of the RM 11-02 beats a flyback chronograph ready to literally race on the track. The instant return of the counter to zero makes it possible to quickly restart the stopwatch function.
COUNTDOWN
When the chronograph function is activated, the minutes passed and remaining (up to 60 minutes) are indicated by the subdial at 9 o’clock, with elapsed seconds indicated by the central seconds hand and running seconds at 3 o’ clock.The 24-hour totaliser located at 6 o’clock shows the accumulated hours up to 24.
OVERSIZE DATE DISPLAY
Semi-instantaneous, placed in a red horizontal aperture below 12 o’clock with automatic adjustment for months of 30 or 31 days.
MONTH DISPLAY
Semi-instantaneous indicator with Arabic numerals placed between 4 and 5 o’clock.
VARIABLE-GEOMETRY ROTOR
• Central flange in grade 5 titanium
• 18K white gold weight segment
• Weight segment with 6 possible positions adjusted by screws in grade 5 titanium
• 18K white gold wings
• Ceramic ball bearings
• Unidirectional anti-clockwise winding
This exclusive Richard Mille design makes it possible to effectively adapt rewinding of the mainspring to the user’s activity level, in sporting or non-sporting environments. By adjusting the six-position rib, the rotor’s inertia is modified to either speed up the winding process in the case of leisurely arm movements, or to slow it down during sporting activities.
MOVEMENT CHARACTERISTICS
Movement dimensions: 30.25 x 38.45 mm
Thickness: 9.00 mm
Number of jewels: 68
Barrel arbour: in AP 20 steel
Balance: Glucydur®, 4 arms, moment of inertia 4.8 mg•cm2, angle of lift 53º
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Balance spring: elinvar by Nivarox®
Index assembly: Triovis N°2
Shock protection: INCABLOC 908.22.211.100 (transparent)
Escapement wheel jewels: Rubifix (transparent)
Three-position stem: Manual winding, date adjustment, hand setting
CASE
Producing the distinctive Richard Mille tonneau-shaped case, with its ergonomically fitting curves and dramatic arcs, requires many hours of preparation before the actual milling procedures can even begin.
The tripartite case entails some 86 preliminary stamping and striking operations to ready the case parts for cutting and milling. The actual machining process is preceded by some 50 hours of machine setup and programming before all systems are tuned for the more than 300 separate operations that need to be executed. State of the art, CNC 5-axis machines with an accuracy of mere microns are crucial to creating the multiple curves and arcs established in Richard Mille’s case design aesthetic.
The satin-finished tripartite case of the RM 11-02 is water resistant to 50 metres, ensured by two Nitrile O-ring seals. The case is assembled with 20 spline screws in grade 5 titanium and abrasion-resistant washers in 316L stainless steel.
Finishing
Movement
• Baseplate and bridges in titanium, wet sandblasted, PVD treated
• Anglage and polishing by hand
• Hand-polished locking sections
Steel parts
• Sapphire-blasted surfaces
• Anglage and polishing by hand
• Screw slot and screws bevelled and polished with rounded and polished tip
Wheels
• Concave chamfering with a diamond tool
• Circular-decorated faces
• Rhodium plating (before cutting the teeth)
• Minimal corrections applied to the wheels in order to preserve geometry and performance
Other features
DOUBLE-BARREL SYSTEM
The double-barrel system helps to improve torque stability over a longer period. This is achieved by distributing the stored energy across two winding barrels instead of one, which increases the number of rotations and reduces pressure on the teeth, bearings and pivots, resulting in better long-term performance.
FREE-SPRUNG BALANCE WITH VARIABLE INERTIA
This type of balance wheel represents the ultimate in innovation. It guarantees greater reliability when subjected to shocks and during movement assembly or disassembly, hence better chronometric results over time. The regulator index is eliminated, and a more accurate and repeatable calibration is possible thanks to 4 small adjustable weights located directly on the balance.
SPLINE SCREWS IN GRADE 5 TITANIUM FOR THE BRIDGES AND CASE
This permits better control of the torque applied to screws during assembly. These screws are unaffected by physical manipulation during assembly or disassembly and age well.