Richard Mille: The future is now

Richard Mille’s mastery of materials science has led to the creation of some of the world’s most advanced case materials 

Of course, a watch is not a watch without a case. And it is here that Richard Mille has continually pushed the boundaries of materials science, collaborating with leading experts and research institutions to develop cutting-edge case materials that are unparalleled in the watchmaking industry. 

With roots that go back to Richard Mille and Rafael Nadal’s first meeting in Mallorca in 2010, the RM 27-05 Flying Tourbillon Rafael Nadal is the result of a long and passionate quest for remarkable lightness and superlative performance. The RM 27-05 has no screws holding the movement to the case. The entire mechanism rests inside the monobloc back/caseband unit, which is then topped by the flange and bezel, and the whole assembly presses down on the calibre to hold it firmly in place. 

What gives this model a major advantage are the qualities of a new composite, Carbon TPT B.4, developed over the course of five years with Richard Mille’s Swiss partner North Thin Ply Technology, the world’s leader in ultra-lightweight prepreg materials. Carbon TPT B.4 is an optimised anisotropic material that makes it possible to machine the case to ever thinner cross-sections. 

Compared with earlier Carbon TPT – an advanced composite that Richard Mille has extensively utilised in the design and construction of its high-end watch cases and components – the new composite is 4% denser, the fibre 15% stiffer and the resin 30% stronger. These values make it possible to lighten the whole without losing stiffness. For optimum strength, Carbon TPT B.4 is woven in stacks using a specific 70° orientation between layers. This process creates an X-shaped structure within the monobloc caseback on which the movement is positioned. 

Finite element calculations, multiple simulations and analyses, tomography and numerous impact tests were used to confirm the relevance of each technical option over the course of the prototypes, endowing the RM 27-05 with extraordinary endurance at accelerations in excess of 14,000 g. It’s no wonder, then, that 4,000 hours of work went into designing the calibre and case. 

Twenty years ago composites were among the most exotic novelties in watchmaking, but Richard Mille has made them one of the new standards of luxury and along the way proved that mastering the use of ultra-technical materials is both an art and a science. 

Also see: Richard Mille: Every second counts