With Baselworld 2019 just behind us, news of new releases from the world’s biggest brands is still flowing thick and fast. Although we generally focus more on the watches themselves, the release of the Richard Mille RM 07-01 Ladies watch brings with it a very exciting development from the Richard Mille in-house research and development team. This is the first watch featuring the new Carbon TPT Bracelet, which is constructed in the same way as Richard Mille’s famous case material.
We’ve seen plenty of cases made using the TPT carbon layering process, but the construction of a bracelet in this style is a completely new ballgame. The Carbon TPT Bracelet took 13 months of development to bring to life, is comprised of 200 components (two hundred components in a bracelet…wow), and weighs a trifling 29 grams.
Material technology gains
I’ve recently been waxing lyrical about the nO-Ring water resistance technology developed by Mauron Musy because it looks to the exterior of the watch to solve existing problems or improve occasionally problematic necessities. Many people enjoy the look and feel of a bracelet on their watch, but find the weight (and steel’s propensity to grab arm hair) uncomfortable. Developing new materials that are lightweight, strong, and conductive (so warm to the touch like titanium) is an area that is too often sidelined (in my opinion) for incrementally esoteric movement developments.
It’s a pretty cool move for Richard Mille to launch the Carbon TPT bracelet exclusively on a women’s watch. The RM 07-01 Ladies Watch is the perfect way to present what is a cool, wdgy addition to the Richard Mille aesthetic. I could imagine this technology finding great favor with lovers of watches, such as the Richard Mille RM 25-01 Tourbillon Adventure Sylvester Stallone. It has a dark, brooding, hyper-industrial feel to it that is refreshing to see launched on a timepiece for women, but it will no doubt be voraciously integrated into the existing men’s collection at RM’s earliest convenience.
Construction
So how is the bracelet constructed? It’s is made of dozens of Carbon TPT plates layered onto a grade five titanium framework, held in place by 44 of Richard Mille’s instantly identifiable screws (known as spline screws). The comfort and durability of the material is, no doubt, a massive talking point, but I am all about what it does to the aesthetic. The homogeny of the bracelet continues the clean, angled lines of the tonneau case around the wrist. The result is a cohesive whole.
Conclusion
The watch head itself adds Carbon TPT to the long list of case material options in this burgeoning range. The movement powering the Richard Mille RM 07-01 Ladies Watch is the CRMA02, boasting a variable geometry rotor weight and a 50-hour power reserve. The form-fitted caliber is a treat to behold, and its use of multiple materials and colors marries perfectly with this watch, its case, and its rose gold-trimmed dial. The Richard Mille RM 07-01 Ladies Watch featuring cew carbon TPT bracelet will be available in April. Only the bracelet is available on this watch for now, and prices start at $275,000. Learn more at richardmille.com.
