The New RM 17-02 Titanium Tourbillon Is Textbook Mille
Richard Mille is a bit like the Post Malone of the watch world: massively successful and influential among certain demographics, but with no shortage of detractors who don’t get what the hype is all about. Certain RM pieces, like the candy-inspired Bonbon collection and the collabs with tennis legend Rafael Nadal, offer enough visual pizazz to attract a wider audience, while other pieces require a bit more context. The brand’s latest launch, the RM 17-02 tourbillon in titanium, is the latter kind of piece, but it’s nonetheless a perfect introduction to the qualities that make Richard Mille’s watches worthy of the hype.
For those only glancingly familiar with the eponymous brand launched by veteran watchmaker Richard Mille in 2001, it is known for watches that combine unusual high-tech materials and high-end complications with a modern industrial aesthetic defined by tonneau-shaped cases and open-worked dials. The brand’s motto, “A racing machine for your wrist,” speaks both to its close connection with motorsports and the unapologetically technical nature of its creations. Much like the hypercars that inspired them, Richard Mille’s watches are as exclusive as they are expensive, made in highly limited numbers with prices frequently breaking seven figures. Thanks to endorsements from big-name collectors like Jay-Z , Kevin Hart, and Sylvester Stallone, Richard Mille has gone from an oddball startup to one of the most coveted names in luxury in just over two decades.
The RM 17-02 tourbillon in titanium makes for a perfect case study of Richard Mille’s strengths. The successor to the RM17-01 Carbon TPT, which came out in 2019, the new model reprises the same themes with a new, refreshed look and a new case material. The three-part case of the RM 17-02 is textbook, with the same barrel-like shape, visible “spline” screws, and a chunky industrial look that RM fans know and love. Inside, an open-worked dial puts the architecture of the hand-wound tourbillon movement on display beneath a set of blue PVD and 5N gold-treated bridges, which make a striking contrast next to a set of yellow Arabic numerals. The baseplate is machined from grade 5 titanium with a black PVD treatment, as are the other components of the movement which can be seen through the display case back.
The movement is notable for its tourbillon, one of watchmaking’s most prestigious complications. There are plenty of tourbillons out there, of course, but combining an old-school hand-wound version with titanium and avant-garde architecture is a characteristic Richard Mille move. Needless to say, the movement itself is as high-grade as everything else here, with useful features like a free-sprung balance for improved reliability and a safety system to protect the winding barrel from over-winding.
In addition to displaying hours and minutes, the RM 17-02 includes a power reserve indicator and a unique “HNW” dial at four o’clock. In this case, HNW indicates whether the crown is set to “hand-setting, neutral, or winding” modes, but — as with every Richard Mille creation — it could just as well stand for High Net Worth. As such, Richard Mille doesn’t specify a price for the RM 17-02, but as the old saying goes, “If you have to ask…”
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