The new face of Richard Mille
SUPERHERO fans everywhere will LOVE the surreal tourbillon timepiece that has been unmasked by Richard Mille.
The mysterious RM 52-06 Tourbillon Mask allows fans to interpret what they see on the dial themselves, whether it’s a superhero – think Iron Man or The Punisher from Marvel or even Star Wars’ C3P0, robot, gladiator helmet or a kabuki mask.
And while it’s certainly skull-like, the intricacy associated with this timepiece is sets it streets apart from other brands that have featured boned structures on their fashionwear.
But avid watch collectors will instantly recognise the curvaceous lines of the iconic symbol integrated within the tourbillon movement, which will make this watch a firm favourite.
The finer details
It’s made of PVD-treated grade 5 titanium or white gold and the ‘mask’ serves as a wheel train as well as a tourbillon bridge, so is anything but purely decorative.
A ruby accentuates the centre of the cage just below the ‘mouth’.
The back of the mask is the central bridge. The surfaces have been microblasted so that the edges of the mask appear to protrude outwards.
The skeleton base plate has eight arms that anchor the mask and movement to the 49.94 mm x 42 mm x 16.15 mm case.
Limited edition
Followers of the brand will be incredibly lucky to get hold one as the watch is a limited edition with just 72 pieces available – and only in American boutiques.
The dark watch is available in four different coloured cases – Black Carbon TPT®,(Thin North Ply Technology) and white, red or blue Quartz TPT®, with only 18 of each on offer.
Mille first used Carbon TPT in 2013 on the RM 011 and later created Quartz TPT, which was much more flexible, for the RM 27-02 Rafael Nadal Tourbillon.
Prices start at £540,500 per piece.
RM 052 Tourbillon Skull
The latest offering will remind fans of the hugely popular 2012 edition of a timepiece that was a major milestone in Mille history.
RM 052 debuted at SIHH in 2012 and it was limited to just 21 pieces – 15 of which were titanium and six were created in rose or white gold. Each sold for around £387,000.
A symbol of nonconformity and freedom, the watch had a small production run but demand led the manufacturer to consider a new version of the RM 052 Tourbillon skull but with a mask.
Visit our boutique
If you’d like your own new or pre-worn Richard Mille watch, you’ve come to the right place. We are also specialists in Richard Mille servicing and repairs, so do visit us at our Essex boutique or talk to us online.