Richard Mille has unveiled its latest limited edition of RM028 diving watches, this time in a package that combines brown and orange colors. Ever since the release of the model two years ago, the Swiss watchmaker has been launching highly exclusive limited series that consisted in the range of ten to 100 pieces. Such constant exclusivity made this watches even more desirable and sought after, especially considering the overall quality of construction, the choice of materials, and its technical excellence. The new edition of RM028 timepiece has a housing made of titanium, and is completely constructed of specially designed and manufactured components. It includes an automatic mechanical RMAS7 caliber with skeletonized rotor with variable geometry that enables the adjustment of the automatic-winding system of the caliber in accordance to its wearer’s level of activity. And of course, as it is necessary for this sort of watch, it is also water proof to 300 meters, and made with a one-directional rotating bezel.
The newest edition to the palette of exclusive diving timekeepers by the Swiss brand stands out when compared to the previous incarnations of the model, mostly because of its peculiar and eye-catching appearance and interesting combination of predominating brown and orange colors. Its round titanium case with the large diameter of 47 mm (as it is expected for this type of timepiece) and the thickness of 14.6 mm (at the thickest point) is treated with brown PVD coating. Apart from its good looks, the case also demonstrates technical expertise of the Swiss company. To make sure that the construction can deal with pressures to 300 meters, the manufacturer utilized a three-part case with no less than 22 torque screws. The titanium lugs are fully integrated into the case, which eliminates the possibility of accidental displacement of its unidirectional rotating bezel during the dive. As it is the usual practice of the Swiss watchmaker that was founded just a bit over a decade ago, each of the components are specifically designed and constructed for the watch, even including the parts like screws.
As well as the case, the bezel includes microblasted brown PVD finish and sports orange accents, such as a ring and most numerals. In the traditional manner of diving watches, first 15 minutes are in different color, and this time it is a light blue shade that goes quite well in contrast with many orange details. The face of RM028 timekeeper is protected with a sapphire glass with the thickness of 0.4 mm and double glare-proof coating. The additional protection is provided with 8 braces made of silicon which are inserted in the lower and upper grooves. Sapphire is the material that is also featured on the transparent case back of the watch. The watch is made with a skeletonized black dial, white Arabic numerals and with an atypical semi-instantaneous date display widow which is oriented vertically and placed at the seven o’clock position.
A Winding System that Adjusts to the Wearer’s Activity
The main technical treat that comes in the lovely package of the new brown PVD coated RM028 diving timepiece is its mechanical self-winding caliber RMAS7 with adjustable rotor geometry. With the inclusion of minute winglets made of gold, the rotor can be positioned to six different positions, which allows the adaptation of the winding system to the wearer’s level of activity. This practically means that the rotor utilizes different positions in order to speed up or slow down the process of winding, depending on if the wearer is resting or participating in an energetic sport activity.
The caliber components, such as its bottom plate, balance lock and bridges, are forged from titanium which guarantees increased rigidity, as well as perfect flatness which is critical for the proper functioning of the gear train. The RMAS7 movement also includes a double barrel system and provides a nice power storage of approximately 55 hours. Besides, the automatic caliber beats at the high frequency of 4 Hz and includes 32 jewels. The resistance to bumps is insured with the inclusion of transparent Incabloc 908.22.221.100 shock absorber.
The final touch to the styling of this original diving timekeeper is an orange rubber strap that matches the accents on the face of the watch. As it has been announced by the Swiss brand, the new limited edition of Richard Mille’s diving timepiece will hit the shops next month. It is still not fully known how many pieces will it include or what will be the price. However, judging from the previous edition of the model, the number of models will be in double digits, while the expected price is somewhere between $80,000 and $90,000.
