In Las Vegas, a little over a week ago, rapper Drake was spotted wearing the Richard Mille Erotic Tourbillon RM 69 at his concert at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. He took to Instagram to show off the seductive 'oracle' complication, which seems the perfect fit for the man known for a few suggestive lyrics of his own. But what good is the complication if you can't see it in action? And this is one that's all but guaranteed to see some action. So sit back, relax, and watch this video from a few years ago, where Andrew chats to Richard Mille's chief horologist, Mr Theodore Diehl. Discovering just how the innovative brand brought Drake's sexy watch to life.
HANDS-ON: The Richard Mille RM 50-02 ACJ
Richard Mille's highly technical and extremely high-end timepieces routinely push boundaries. At SIHH 2016 it's the RM 50-02 AJC that reimagines an aviation timepiece as only Richard Mille could. RM have partnered with Airbus Corporate Jets, the division of Airbus responsible for opulent private and business jets, to create a watch that merges the worlds of high horology and high flying. The case is made from the same titanium-alloy that is found in Airbus' jet turbine blades and the large double bezel of ceramic and titanium is shaped like an aeroplane window. Another nod to the world of aviation is Mille's use of Airbus' proprietary Torq screws. The crown brings to mind a turbine, and the chronograph pushers are shaped to the 'pyramids' on the wings of a plane – a fairly vital piece of engineering that attaches the engine to the wing. If the case of the RM 50-02 ACJ is inspired by the body of an Airbus jet, the complicated dial is straight out of the cockpit. The orange, green, yellow and red are colours taken from panel instrumentation, and the golden elements of the tourbillon split second movement have been finished with an anti-corrosion coating used in planes…. Read More
VIDEO: Part 2, Richard Mille's horologist explains the RM69 Erotic Tourbillon
As we said in Part 1, the Richard Mille Erotic Tourbillon was the most talked about watch of Watches & Wonders, 2015. But, to be fair, the watch did its fair share of talking, too, as eager groups of journalists, celebrities and VIPs filed through the booth testing it out – and giggling, or blushing, at the sassy suggestions. In Part 2, we sober up and get as serious as we were sexual in Part 1. Here, it's all about how this watch was designed. The solutions to the hands obscuring the 'oracle' section, getting the largest number of phrases out of the rollers and then fitting a tourbillon and all the other timekeeping elements into the small amount of space left inside the standard Richard Mille case. Fun, fun, fun. We meet the man who helped bring it to life, Mr Theodore Diehl, Richard Mille's chief horologist.
VIDEO: Part 1, Trialling the Richard Mille Erotic Tourbillon RM69 (with a stranger)
Without doubt the most talked about watch of Watches & Wonders was the Richard Mille Erotic Tourbillon RM69, and for good reason. Has there ever been a dirty-talking watch at this million dollar price-point, or of this calibre? Pun fully intended. In Part 1 of a 2-part series, we do the most logical thing when we were given the timepiece to test, and that is try it out 'in the wild' so to speak. Our lovely assistant Agnes plays the part of the seducee. Part 2 explores the brains behind the mouth, as Richard Mille's horologist Theodore Diehl explains the challenges presented by incorporating the 'oracle' complication into the iconic Richard Mille case.
NEWS: Putin's press secretary accused of corruption over Richard Mille watch
The story in a second: Putin's press secretary got married on the weekend. Now he's facing allegations of corruption after being spotted wearing a Richard Mille on the big day. Russian President Vladimir Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov is no stranger to dealing with hostile media. But usually it's on behalf of his boss. This week Dmitry fell under the spotlight himself, thanks to his watch. Peskov got married to former Olympic figure skater Tatiana Navka on the weekend – an opulent affair in one of Russia's most swanky hotels. On its own the expense of the extravagant event would raise eyebrows given that Peskov declared an income of $147,200 USD in 2014. But the topper on the (possibly corrupt) wedding cake is Peskov's brand new watch, a Richard Mille RM 52-01, which retails at around $620,000 USD. Peskov's wife claims that it was her wedding gift to him, and this may well be the case as she's a successful athlete and independently wealthy. But given that Russian politicians have a rich recent history of corruption and watches it's not a good look. There's some irony that the Richard Mille in question is a watch that screams 'look at me' and… Read More
SIHH: What does your booth say about you? Part 2
Remember our cultural analysis of the spectacle that is the booths of SIHH? Well, strap in for the conclusion of our comprehensive analysis of the power plays, marketing ploys and grand statements that characterize the best booths of SIHH 2015. The Richard Mille booth In a landscape dominated by big and bold, Richard Mille are at the top of the food chain. Their exclusive, masculine and hi-tech watches are worn (and coveted by) rappers, runners and the richest of the idle rich. So it was a bit of a surprise to see the Richard Mille booth looking like an ultra high-end florist, manned by beautiful women wearing impressive dresses made from real flowers, handing out corsages to visitors. These floral staff uniforms were (unsurprisingly) much talked about, and of course they linked into Richard Mille's impressively blinged out floral novelty, the RM19-02 Tourbillon Fleur. The RM booth story is strongly tied into their hero product, and was one of the best examples of organic (#punalert) marketing at the fair. The Panerai booth Officine Panerai has an incredibly strong brand story and identity, a story linked to their historical ties with the Italian Navy, and told more recently through on-screen legends… Read More
