Simply Abu Dhabi Magazine XVI

1 0 2 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I The RichardMille TourbillonRM56-02 Sapphire F or some watchmakers, it would be enough to accomplish a feat of technical virtuosity, and then rest on their laurels for a decade. The word complacency, however, is simply not in RichardMille’s vocabulary. Three years ago, the manufacture debuted the tremendous RM 056 Sapphire Tourbillon Split Seconds Chronograph, awatchmakingmilestone thanks to the remarkably complex case design rendered in pure sapphire. Then followed the RM56-01,which raised the stakes by adding a baseplate, bridges, and thirdwheel crafted in sapphire. And now, Richard Mille presents the cutting edge of horological transparency with the astonishing RM56-02 Sapphire Tourbillon. The newmovement takes its cues from the mechanical architecture of the RM 27-01RafaelNadal and its cable-suspendedmovement. Incorporating this design within a world of transparent sapphire, the RM 56-02 presents the ultimate expression of weightlessness and transparency within the world of extreme horology. The baseplate, created from grade 5 titanium, is entirely suspended within the sapphirewatchcase by a specially developed, single braided cable of only 0.35mm thickness. The cable is woven within a system of four pulleys on posts at the movement’s corners, and another six pulleys placed along the movement’s periphery. The tension of the cable is perfectly controlled by a miniature ratchet at 9o’clock. This entire cable unit is attached to a separate indicator locatedbelow 12 o’clock, allowing for easy visual transparency of the cable tension to ensure that it is always operating to the designated standard. Transparency is also optimised in other parts of the movement. Thanks to the experience gained with the earlier versions, with the RM56-02 RichardMille’s