RM 62-01

Manual Winding Tourbillon vibrating alarm ACJ

In contrast to the traditional alarms and chimes of most horological today pieces of yesteryear and today, that of the RM 62-01 is absolutely silent. Rather than a hammer that creates a sound by striking a pillar, a gong or the interior of the case, the time signal is transmitted by a vibration only the wearer can perceive.

The RM 62-01 incorporates a UTC indicator for a second time zone, indicated by the green hand at the centre. At 9 o’clock, below the sapphire dial, the tourbillon possesses a free-sprung balance oscillating at 3Hz. The oversize date is positioned at 12 o’clock and framed by an aperture with the red hatching typical of Richard Mille. The indicator for the movement’s 70-hour power reserve is at 11 o’clock.

All functions relating to the vibrating alarm are grouped on the lower part of the main dial. Adjustable to the nearest minute on a 24-hour basis, when the appropriate function is selected, the alarm has three indicators of its own: on/off, AM/PM and a power-reserve indicator. The RM 62-01 was also the only alarm to be wound, not by rotating the crown, but simply by pressing the pusher—12 times suffices to fully charge the alarm’s power reserve.

Four partial prototypes and extensive studies based on models and space constraints were required in order to fit so many components and functionalities in the limited volume. There were 816 parts to be housed, 2 barrels, 7 hands, 11 displays and a tourbillon cage. For all these reasons, the RM 62-01 is the most complicated calibre Richard Mille has ever created.

The RM 62-01 follows in the footsteps of the 2016 RM 50-02 Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph ACJ, from which it inherits its distinctive lines. It has a double bezel, a feature that it also sports on the caseback. Resting on a satin polished titanium bezel, the second bezel is milled from a block of Carbon TPT® to a thickness of just 1.8 mm. The choice of these materials transcends merely aesthetic considerations. The titanium/ Carbon TPT® pairing provides an optimal weight to stiffness ratio in the functional context of the RM 62-01. This combination ensures that vibrations produced by the alarm will be transferred to the wrist and deflected from the movement, which is thus protected by the structure of the watch itself.