- Edition
- 10 pieces
Overview
A cable-suspended movement within a sapphire case
The RM 56-02 Tourbillon Sapphire was introduced in 2014 in a limited edition of ten pieces. It takes the cable-suspended movement architecture developed for the RM 27-01 Rafael Nadal and places it inside a case machined from solid sapphire. The grade 5 titanium baseplate is not screwed to the case but held within it by a single braided cable 0.35 mm thick, routed through four pulleys mounted on posts at the corners of the movement and six further pulleys around its periphery.
Cable tension is set by a miniature ratchet at 9 o’clock and read off a dedicated indicator below 12 o’clock, allowing the tension to be checked against its specified range. The calibre RM56-02 indicates hours and minutes alongside that tension indicator.
Key details
Design and engineering
- Cable-suspended baseplateThe grade 5 titanium baseplate is suspended within the sapphire case by a specially developed single braided cable of 0.35 mm thickness, woven through four pulleys on posts at the movement’s corners and six more placed along its periphery.
- Tension ratchet and indicatorA miniature ratchet at 9 o’clock controls cable tension. The cable unit is linked to a separate indicator below 12 o’clock so that tension can be inspected visually and kept within the designated norms.
- Sapphire movement componentsBuilding on the earlier sapphire calibres, the RM 56-02 adds a redesigned winding barrel bridge together with tourbillon and centre bridges in sapphire.
- Three-part sapphire caseMilled and ground from blocks of solid sapphire by Stettler in Lyss, Switzerland, who also produced the sapphire movement components. One case requires 40 days of continuous machining, and the movement bridges a further 400 hours.
- Material propertiesSapphire is formed from aluminium oxide crystals under high pressure and temperature. Richard Mille rates it at 1,800 Vickers, 9 on the Mohs scale, and states it is scratch-resistant to all materials other than diamond.
- Case sealing and strapTwo transparent nitrile O-rings seal the case to 30 m, with 24 grade 5 titanium spline screws holding the assembly. Developed by Biwi SA with Richard Mille, the strap material uses nano-reinforcements to combine transparency with strength.
Specifications
Technical specifications
| Reference | RM 56-02 |
|---|---|
| Calibre | RM56-02, manual winding tourbillon |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, tension indicator |
| Baseplate | Grade 5 titanium, cable-suspended |
| Suspension cable | Single braided cable, 0.35 mm |
| Pulleys | 4 on corner posts, 6 on the periphery |
| Tension control | Miniature ratchet at 9 o’clock |
| Tension indicator | Below 12 o’clock |
| Sapphire movement parts | Winding barrel bridge, tourbillon bridge, centre bridge |
| Case material | Sapphire, three parts |
| Sapphire hardness | 1,800 Vickers / 9 Mohs |
| Case machining | 40 days continuous per case; 400 hours for bridges |
| Sapphire machining | Stettler, Lyss, Switzerland |
| Case sealing | Two transparent nitrile O-rings |
| Case assembly | 24 grade 5 titanium spline screws |
| Water resistance | 30 m |
| Strap | Aerospace Nano®, Biwi SA |
| Edition | 10 pieces |
| Introduced | 2014 |
Buying with HYPA
Purchase with confidence
- Manufacturer warranty confirmed from the warranty card
- Insured worldwide delivery
- Payment by bank transfer or cryptocurrency
- Registered Australian dealerHYPA International Pty Ltd · Victorian Second-Hand Dealer Licence SHD-0018017.
- Direct specialist supportSpeak with the HYPA team before, during and after the purchase.
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