SJX Watches
Richard Mille Goes Hyper Lightweight with the RM 55-01
In an unexpected departure from their its horological extravaganza, Richard Mille has just unveiled the time-only RM 55-01. With a focus on simplified movement architecture and lightness, the RM 55-01’s movement is a hand-wound exercise in restraint and weighs under 5 g – equivalent to one sheet of A4 paper. Initial thoughts At its debut in the early 2000s, Richard Mille basically introduced and then perfected the niche offering of ultra-expensive, “hyper” sports watches, juggling complications, materials and bold aesthetics to create an outrageously expensive cocktail of lightness and ergonomics. With the RM55-01 the same brand returns to the basics, with a caliber developed for extreme lightness, doing away with automatic winding or any complications. The watch only tells the hours, minutes and seconds - which is not really something one expects from Richard Mille these days. This RM 55-01 feels like a spiritual descendant of the discontinued RM 55 “Bubba Watson”. The case lines and the movement itself are very reminiscent of that model, although the RM 055 was mostly marketed as a light but sturdy golfer’s watch. The new RM55-01 is presented as a pure exercise in weight reduction. Though the price of the RM 55-01 is unavailable, it is probably unjustifiable in any tangible or intrinsic sense. But is a mechanical watch that weighs as much as a few sheets of paper extremely cool? Yes – if you can afford it. Airy construction The RM 55-01 is built with ...
