RM 60-01
A WATCH FOR THE SEVEN SEAS
With the RM 60-01 Regatta, Richard Mille presents its first technical watch for navigating the seven seas.
Following on the RM 014 and 015 watches which celebrate the world of sailing, the RM 60-01 Regatta was specifically designed for sailing regattas and competitions with all the useful and essential functions that a skipper could need. In particular, it has a unique three-dimensional rotating bezel which shows the cardinal points and enables sailors to find their direction without a compass.
CALIBRE RMAC2
Automatic winding movement with hours, minutes, running seconds at 3 o’clock, oversize date, month, annual calendar, flyback chronograph with central seconds counter and 30-minute countdown timer at 9 o’clock, 24-hour totaliser at 6 o’clock, UTC function and variable-geometry rotor.
POWER RESERVE
Circa 50 hours (± 10%).
45 hours with chronograph running. Actual power reserve results will depend on how much the chronograph features are utilised.
BASEPLATE AND BRIDGES MADE OF GRADE 5 TITANIUM
These components, crafted of grade 5 titanium with black PVD coating, confer great rigidity on the whole assembly, as well as the precise surface flatness essential for perfect functioning of the gear train.
The skeletonised baseplate and bridges were subjected to intensive and complete validation tests to optimise their resistance capacities.
FLYBACK CHRONOGRAPH
By using the pusher between 4 and 5 o’clock, the running chronograph can be reset without having to first stop the mechanism. This was originally developed for pilots in order to avoid wasting time (and therefore accuracy) due to stopping, resetting and starting the chronograph whilst crossing a navigational point.
UTC FUNCTION
The RM 60-01 features a UTC hand that can be used either as a second time zone indicator, or in combination with the sun and the rotating bezel, to orientate the points of the compass.
ANNUAL CALENDAR
Semi-instantaneous with automatic adjustment for months of 30 or 31 days, the oversize date is placed in a red-outlined horizontal aperture under 12 o’clock, while the month sits between 4 and 5 o’clock.
VARIABLE-GEOMETRY ROTOR
The Richard Mille RM 60-01 uses variable geometry to optimise the rotor’s winding motion.
Rotor specifications
• Arm 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, high palladium content
• Ceramic ball bearings
• Unidirectional; anti-clockwise winding direction
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.
EIGHT-POINT AND 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 therefore unaffected by physical manipulation during assembly or disassembly and age well.
MOVEMENT CHARACTERISTICS
Movement diameter: 39.15 mm
Thickness: 9.00 mm
Number of jewels: 62
Balance: Glucydur®, 4 arms, moment of inertia 4.8 mg•cm2, angle of lift 53°
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Balance spring: elinvar by Nivarox®
Shock protection: INCABLOC
908.22.211.100 (transparent)
Escapement wheel jewels: Rubifix (transparent)
Three-position stem: Manual winding, date adjustment, time setting
CASE
The four-part case of the RM 60-01 is very difficult to make. After a turning operation lasting 1 hour and 40 minutes, no less than 800 milling operations lasting several hours are required. Machining demands nearly 11 hours of separate operations.
All these stages are vital to producing the characteristic ergonomics of Richard Mille watches.
BIDIRECTIONAL BEZEL WITH COMPASS SEGMENTS
The RM 60-01 was conceived to allow navigators to orientate themselves at sea, thanks to the rotating bezel featuring the display of the four cardinal points, a measuring disc of 360° and a 24-hour scale.
What differentiates the RM 60-01 from the other ‘regatta’ watches is that it can be used for orientation in both the Northern and the Southern Hemispheres without any additional calculation, simply by selecting the appropriate scale.
LOCKING CROWN
In order to forestall accidental actuation due to accidental manipulation, Richard Mille developed a secondary locking crown that immobilises both pushers simultaneously with a simple turn.
The red and green indexes respectively show whether the locking mechanism is in operation or deactivated. This complex, innovative mechanism is patented by Richard Mille.
The 3 pushers, their components and the crown require 10 days of machining, during which they undergo numerous tests for water-resistance and quality control.
Finishing
Movement
• Baseplate and bridges in hand-ground grade 5 titanium, wet sandblasted, top face polished by hand and PVD treated
• Burnished pivots
• Diamond-polished sinks on the bridge side
• Pinions with undercuts
Steel parts
• Sapphire-blasted and hand-drawn surfaces
• Screw slot and screws bevelled and polished with rounded and polished tip
Wheels
• Sandblasted and rhodium-plated bevelled wheels (before cutting)
• Minimum correction applied to the wheels in order to preserve geometry and performance
Other features
COUNTDOWN
Located at 9 o’clock, the hand is replaced by a skeletonised 60-minute graduated disc. The sailor can read minutes elapsed as well as minutes remaining.
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.
DOUBLE-BARREL SYSTEM
The double-barrel system helps to improve the torque stability over a longer period.
This is achieved by dispersing the stored energy across two winding barrels instead of one, thereby reducing pressure and friction on the teeth, the bearings and the pivots, resulting in improved long-term performance.