Richard Mille has a knack of surprising us with flyweight complications and uber-tech, but the new RM 63-02 plays a different game. With their second, circular launch this year, Mille opens up to a new cadre of collectors, as not everyone embraces the unmistakeable shape of a tech-laden tonneau. At the same time the eloquent brawn of the RM 63-02 Automatic Worldtimer plays a strong game for collectors who already have a couple of RMs in their collection, and it does so with a sweeter taste than we are used to. But boy does it work.
After enjoying the wild candy-fun of the Bonbon collection, we have been prepped for Richard’s more playful side, for sure. This time, the candy-flavoured fun is captured in the shape of the brand’s muscular dive watch range, first seen in the RM 032, and invoking a taste of strawberry cheesecake. However, this works on many levels, and offers a tasty contrast to the strong lines of the RM 63-02, with its generously sized 47mm case. This might seem large these days, and we will not tell you that it wears like a small watch. But this Richard Mille is ergonomic for its size, light despite its precious tinge of red gold, light thanks to its titanium mid-case. Dramatic angles to the distinctive lugs and soft FKM rubber adds to what becomes a very wearable beast. Though with its 13.8mm thickness you might want to invest in some carefully tailored shirts with a wider left cuff, all worth it for its charming presence.
“This is a world-timer that swaps carbon TPT bravado for the quiet glow of 5N red gold and titanium.”
But Richard, we are enamored, and for a brand synonymous with the wild and avant-garde, the Richard Mille RM 63-02 Automatic Worldtimer is a breath of composed confidence. It’s still unmistakably Mille, with its open-worked, complex, and architectural style. But this time, it’s dressed for travel rather than the racetrack. This worldtimer swaps carbon TPT bravado for the quiet glow of 5N red gold and titanium, embodying a rarefied understatement that suits the seasoned traveller.
At its heart beats the in-house CRMA4 calibre, an automatic movement that pairs high performance with Mille’s mechanical theatre. What sets it apart, though, is the sheer elegance of its function. Rather than relying on the usual crown or pusher to jump through time zones, the RM 63-02 lets you simply twist the micro-blasted red gold bezel—mounted on ball bearings, naturally—to align your chosen city at 12 o’clock. The system instantly adjusts the local time and synchronises the other 23 zones in a seamless ballet of gears.
The two-tone rose and burgundy disc elegantly separates night from day, while the amphitheatre of a steeply angled white rehaut with the world’s cities1 keeps everything perfectly legible. The date display appears within a red and shite frame, oversized, skeletonised, and placed proudly at 12. Beneath it all, semi-industrial bridgework of black-rhodium titanium anchors the dial, a structural and deeply architectural flourish that is on point for RM.
There’s a refreshing sense of purpose about the RM 63-02. It’s complex, yes, but not for complexity’s sake. Its complication offer travellers something both useful and poetic, within the juxtaposed frame of a 300m depth-rated tool watch with a precious twist. With only 100 pieces made, it’s a world-timer that balances Richard Mille’s hallmark innovation with an uncharacteristic sense of restraint, and tricks us into forgetting its technical tour de force roots through the use of a rather tasty palette of colours.
