RM 47
Calibre RM47
Manual winding tourbillon movement with hours and minutes.
Power reserve: Around 72 hours (± 10%).
Limited edition of 75 pieces
Associating art and spirituality. Creating a new masterpiece designed as an aesthetic tribute to Japanese culture. The RM 47 Tourbillon is the fruit of intense reflection and nearly four years of design work.
This is an artful watch of a new kind, incorporating an extremely compact calibre, specifically designed to make room for a stylised Samurai suit of armour entirely crafted by hand.
The model is born of a friendly conversation between Richard Mille and the twice Formula 1 world champion and brand partner Fernando Alonso, a passionate enthusiast of Japanese traditional arts and the Samurai principles.
Entirely hand-carved by the engraver Pierre-Alain Lozeron and painted by his wife Valérie, the Samurai armour illustrates the different aspects of ancestral Japanese culture. Evoking the spirit of bushido, the Samurai code of ethics whose values still prevail in Japanese society, the armour comes to life in 3N yellow gold.
Many details referred to the Asano clan, a family that symbolizes the bushido spirit. The chief of the family domain in the 18th century, Asano Naganori, was also the lord of the 47 ronin who avenged his death before following him into the afterworld. Their Kamon, or clan heraldic sign is proudly featured on the tourbillon, at six o’clock. The crown, crafted in titanium, Carbon TPT® and polished 3N yellow gold, bears the motif of a Japanese maple leaf, a symbol of the seasons as well as of grace, beauty and the brevity of life.
In total, it took no less than 16 hours of engraving and 9 hours of painting – in all, more than a whole day – to obtain the 11 components that make up the Samurai. Like a guardian, the armour provides precious protection for the manual-winding calibre RM47 with hours and minutes. To ensure optimal functioning of the movement, the baseplate and skeletonised bridges are made of grade 5 titanium, a biocompatible alloy often used in the aerospace industry, with a black PVD treatment. This combination offers high corrosion-resistance, remarkable rigidity and perfectly flat surfaces.
The RM 47’s movement, case and decoration all bear witness to a design approach intended to guarantee the harmonious and effective integration of all the various elements. The tonneau-shaped case comprises three parts with a caseband in 3N yellow gold receiving a bezel and a caseback in black TZP ceramic. With their exceptional aesthetics, the RM 47 Tourbillon evokes the spirituality and values of the bushido, while embodying a determined quest for perfection and respect for tradition.