Over the course of the last several years, Richard Mille has created a number of different timepieces within the RM 07-01 series, and as its latest new release of 2023, the brand has announced a trio of new models based upon this rather compact platform. Two years ago, Richard Mille created a batch of limited-edition RM 07-01 watches with colored ceramic cases, and it is now bringing back this concept with a new trio of models. Along with featuring different colorways from the previous editions, the new Richard Mille RM 07-01 Coloured Ceramics are inspired by the 1980s Italian art and architecture movement Memphis Design, and they feature gem-set dials with guilloché elements in a variety of different shapes and colors.

Although Richard Mille created its first model specifically for women back in 2005, the brand has released a number of watches with more compact cases over the course of the last several years, and it has also placed an emphasis on expanding its offerings for women in a horologically meaningful manner. For example, it was a women’s model that debuted the brand’s first Carbon TPT bracelet back in 2019, and just earlier this year, Richard Mille launched its first purpose-built women’s sports watch, which features an ultra-lightweight design and a function selector switch that allows the winding crown to be disengaged from the movement to help prevent the transfer of shocks and impacts.

While Richard Mille does produce models specifically intended for women, many people would agree that watches are inherently rather unisex items, and the already rather tenuous gender lines of watch design get further blurred when you try to apply them to the bold, colorful, and ultra-modern aesthetic of Richard Mille’s catalog. There has been a gradual shift within the industry towards removing the gender category from watches, and although the rather compact RM 07-01 series has historically been presented as a women’s model, none of the official press literature for the new Richard Mille RM 07-01 Coloured Ceramics watches make any explicit mention of them being specifically intended for women. That said, if you search by gender on Richard Mille’s website, the new trio will populate exclusively within the women’s filter, although the brand still presents these new RM 07-01 Coloured Ceramics models in a fairly gender-neutral manner.

Within the realm of Richard Mille’s smaller watches, the RM 07-01 is one of its more simple and straightforward designs, and it therefore typically serves as the foundation for the brand’s more art-oriented pieces, such as the RM 07-01 Intergalactic watches that were unveiled last year. Consequently, the primary focus of the new Richard Mille RM 07-01 Coloured Ceramics is their colorful Memphis Design-inspired appearance, although just like everything else that the brand produces, there is a significant amount of craftsmanship and technical engineering that goes into every element of their design and construction.

The three new Richard Mille RM 07-01 Coloured Ceramics watches feature the brand’s signature tonneau-shaped profile, and they measure 31.40mm in diameter by 11.85mm thick, with an overall lug-to-lug profile of 45.23mm. While each one features a different color of TZP (Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystal) ceramic for its bezel and caseback, all of them include middle cases crafted from 18k white gold that has been given a micro-blasted finish with hand-polished pillars. As for the three colors of TZP ceramic, the RM 07-01 Pastel Pink features blush pink components, while the RM 07-01 Pastel Lavender showcases a lavender pink hue, and the RM 07-01 Pastel Blue has its TZP ceramic bezel and caseback appear in a powder blue color.

Sapphire crystals are fitted to both the dial side of the new Richard Mille RM 07-01 Coloured Ceramics watches and their display-style casebacks, while rubberized crowns protrude from the side of the case at the 3 o’clock location. The three-part case is held together by a set of grade 5 titanium spline screws with abrasion-resistant washers made from 316L stainless steel, and the gaskets placed between the various case components help provide the new RM 07-01 Coloured Ceramics models with 50 meters of water resistance to protect against daily contact. Since TZP ceramic consists of over 95% zirconia (ZrO2), it offers many of the benefits of other types of ceramic, such as extreme corrosion resistance and a hardness rating of 1,400 Vickers.

At the center of the new Richard Mille RM 07-01 Coloured Ceramics watches are their dials, which feature a partially skeletonized design that is adorned with various decorative elements to give them their Memphis Design appearance. The base layer of the dial is crafted from 5N red gold and given a gray PVD treatment, while the colorful decorative elements are applied to the surface and either adorned with guilloché or set with ceramic, rubber, or diamonds. Each of the three different models features a slightly different style of dial that rearranges the shapes, colors, and textures to create a unique twist on the same Memphis Design aesthetic.

Powering the new trio of Richard Mille RM 07-01 Coloured Ceramics models is the brand’s Caliber CRMA2 automatic movement, which is what you will also find inside the previously mentioned RM 07-01 Intergalactic watches from last year. Running at a frequency of 28,800vph (4Hz) with a power reserve of approximately 50 hours, the Richard Mille Cal. CRMA2 features grade 5 titanium plates and bridges, along with the brand’s variable geometry rotor. Mounted on ceramic ball bearings and crafted from 5N red gold, the variable geometry rotor features two heavy metal weight segments along its outer rim that can be adjusted to adapt the bidirectional winding system to the lifestyle of its individual owner.

Fitted to the lugs of the new Richard Mille RM 07-01 Coloured Ceramics watches are velcro-style straps, with each one appearing in a different contrasting color to complement the specific hue of the case. The RM 07-01 Pastel Pink has a teal strap, the RM 07-01 Pastel Lavender is fitted with a yellow strap, and the RM 07-01 Pastel Blue has its strap in a pale shade of red. All three of the different straps feature a speckled pattern in a contrasting color on the outermost folding velcro section, while the connection point for the two ends is a “Richard Mille” signed loop that is made from micro-blasted and polished 18k white gold.

While the previous series of RM 07-01 watches with colored ceramic cases were each produced as limited editions of just 50 pieces, the new Memphis Design-inspired Richard Mille RM 07-01 Coloured Ceramics models will be limited productions, although their total output will not capped at a specific number of examples. Additionally, regardless of their different colorways and dial designs, all three of the new Richard Mille RM 07-01 Coloured Ceramics watches are accompanied by the same official retail price of $205,000 USD. While Richard Mille clearly has women in mind with these new models, I personally advocate that people wear whatever timepiece makes them happy, and given the popularity of the brand’s other women’s watches among male celebrities and collectors, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a number of men out there who are also interested in the new RM 07-01 Coloured Ceramics due to their lighthearted colorways and Memphis Design dials. For more information on the Richard Mille RM 07-01 Coloured Ceramics, please visit the brand’s website.