Richard Mille has just unveiled a trio of new, eye-catching additions to their lineup, the RM 07-01 collection. These striking timepieces pay homage to the ’80s Italian design movement known as Memphis, capturing its essence with a contemporary twist.
Memphis design, pioneered by Ettore Sottsass, is a style known for its bold graphics, vibrant colors, and a seemingly haphazard approach to design. While it enjoyed its heyday in the ’80s, Memphis has made a powerful comeback, thanks in no small part to platforms like Instagram. The movement’s revival has been further fueled by the cult-favorite Ultrafragola selfie mirror at Opening Ceremony in Howard St., a beacon of Memphis aesthetics.
The RM 07-01 Memphis collection showcases a vivid color palette, reminiscent of the Memphis design movement. These watches are available in three mesmerizing colors: powder blue, blush pink, and lavender pink. What sets them apart is the use of TZP (Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystal) ceramic for the cases. This biocompatible ceramic boasts impressive qualities, including corrosion resistance, extreme hardness (a remarkable 1,400 Vickers), and a toughness that surpasses even sapphire.
The iconic RM tonneau case shape, albeit slightly streamlined for the 07-01, remains a cornerstone of this collection (31.40 x 45.23 mm, to be exact). The ceramic bezel and caseback are seamlessly fused with a micro-blasted white gold caseband, staying true to Richard Mille’s signature style.
Beneath the surface, atop the baseplate and bridges crafted from grade 5 titanium, lies a gray PVD-treated red gold skeleton dial. This dial showcases an intricately engraved Memphis motif, accompanied by decorative accents in colored ceramic, laser-cut rubber appliques, and delicate diamond-set elements. The guilloche technique plays a starring role, enhancing the dial’s geometric patterns and lending depth and texture.
Powering these Memphis-inspired marvels is the Caliber CRMA2, a skeletonized automatic movement. It provides essential functions like hours and minutes, along with an adjustable rotor geometry and an impressive power reserve of 50 hours.
Completing the look, each RM 07-01 Memphis watch features a vibrant, contrasting color strap.
These pieces are available for US$205,000.
