Overview

Princess-cut setting on white gold

This example sets princess-cut diamonds across the white gold case, over a black dial plate carrying the magnolia in purple and green. The strap is black leather.

Princess is a cut, not a level of coverage — square step-and-brilliant faceting, set here in bands across the case. That distinction separates this record from the fully set execution held elsewhere in this catalogue, and the two should not be read as points on one scale.

The RM 19-02 is the first automaton in the collection. A magnolia with five hand-crafted, hand-coloured petals in 18K gold surrounds a flying tourbillon at 7 o’clock. Working in passing or on demand via the pusher at 9 o’clock, the flower opens and closes in what Richard Mille calls a delicate kinetic ballet. It does not merely open: the entire flying tourbillon, with its stone-set stamen, rises by 1 mm, copying the way the flower arches upwards to improve its chances of pollination.

The mechanism behind it comprises five levers surrounding the underside of the petals, and a second system with a long pinion to raise the tourbillon and stamen within the circumference of the flower. All of it draws on a separate, second winding barrel, so the timekeeping is unaffected. The opening and closing cycle can be adjusted.

The magnolia was chosen for its longevity: it has existed for millions of years, predating the emergence of bees, flowering in an endless cycle of birth and regeneration.

The cycle is specific: unless deactivated by the pusher at 9 o’clock, the petals unfurl every five minutes, remain open for a further five, then close. The unfurling itself takes six seconds. The centre of the tourbillon is set with seven precious stones representing the stamens, and the tourbillon is Richard Mille’s first flying tourbillon.

Baseplate and bridges are grade 5 titanium. The calibre carries 40 jewels set in white gold chatons, runs at 21,600 vph and gives circa 36 hours (± 10%) of power reserve. The flying tourbillon’s cage is assembled without an upper bridge, giving the impression of weightlessness and unobstructed visibility. A barrel pawl with progressive recoil provides a winding gain of around 20%, particularly at the start of winding. The winding crown is shaped as a flower bud and is torque-limiting.

The tripartite case is water-resistant to 50 m and assembled with 12 spline screws; Richard Mille records 47 stamping operations, four hours of tooling and a full day of grinding, glazing and polishing per case.

At launch the model was presented in two versions: a fully paved 18K white gold edition and a non-gem-set 18K red gold model.

Key details

Design and engineering

• Calibre RM19-02Manual winding tourbillon movement with hours, minutes and automaton mechanism. 40 jewels set in white gold chatons, 21,600 vph, circa 36 hours (± 10%) of power reserve.
• Princess-cut settingSquare-cut stones set across the case, distinct in cut from the round stones used on the full-set execution.
• AutomatonFive hand-crafted, hand-coloured 18K gold petals open every five minutes, or on demand via the pusher at 9 o’clock, driven by five levers beneath the petals and powered by a dedicated second barrel so the timekeeping is unaffected.
• Rising flying tourbillonAt 7 o’clock, assembled without an upper bridge; it rises 1 mm as the flower opens, its centre set with seven precious stones representing the stamens. Richard Mille’s first flying tourbillon.
• Baseplate and bridgesGrade 5 titanium.
• CrownShaped as a flower bud, torque-limiting.

Specifications

Technical specifications

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Related references

RM 19-02

Richard Mille · RM 19-02

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Richard Mille · RM 020 RG

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Richard Mille · RM 020 Ti