Richard Mille‘s pursuit of innovation has not slowed down. This is not only reflected in advanced mechanical engineering solutions and new production methods, but also in the use of unconventional and often unprecedented materials. The latest is gray cermet. Combining the lightness of titanium and the hardness of diamonds, this material has been used in the front bezel of the new RM 11-05 automatic flyback chronograph GMT, the first of its kind in Richard Mille timepieces.
The physical properties of cermet are widely recognized, so it is often used for ballistic protection and aerospace, for re-entry space shuttle components, outer fuselage components, and brakes for racing vehicles. The hardness of cermet is 2,360 Vickers hardness, which is comparable to other high performance high ceramics, so it is very suitable for the frame, which is an area highly exposed to scratches.
The iconic case of the RM 11-05 measures 50 mm x 42.70 mm and has a total thickness of 16.15 mm. It is also equipped with a carbon TPT strap and a grade 5 titanium case back.
The combination of these three high-tech materials helps to significantly reduce the weight of the RM 11-05. Thanks to two nitrile rubber O-ring seals, the complete case structure is waterproof to 50 meters/165 feet and is assembled using 20 spline screws in grade 5 titanium and 316L stainless steel washers.
Functions include: hours, minutes and seconds at 3 o’clock, annual calendar with month and oversized date, 24-hour flyback chronograph, countdown with minutes and 9 o’clock, hour counter at 6 o’clock, GMT function .
The large date display is placed in the red outline horizontal window below 12 o’clock, and the month of 30 or 31 days can be automatically adjusted. The month display is indicated by Arabic numerals and is located between 4 o’clock and 5 o’clock.
With the flyback function, the running chronograph can be reset by using the button between the 4 o’clock and 5 o’clock positions without first stopping the mechanism.
When the chronograph function is activated, the hour and minute hands will display the elapsed time through counters at 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock, and the second hand is indicated by the central hand. At 9 o’clock, a hollow disk with a 60-minute mark replaces the hands. In this way, the user can either read the elapsed minutes or the remaining minutes to count down.
Regarding the GMT function, replica RM 11-05 uses an orange pointer full of Super-LumiNova. It can be easily adjusted using the button at 9 o’clock.
Hollow self-winding Calibre RMAC3’s bottom plate and splints are made of grade 5 titanium, a rigid alloy with a high degree of corrosion resistance that allows the gear train to work effortlessly. The alloy is 90% grade 5 titanium, 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium. This special combination further improves the mechanical properties of the material. This explains its frequent use in the aerospace, aviation and automotive industries.
Beating at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vph), the free-spring balance wheel with variable inertia ensures greater reliability during shocks and during assembly and disassembly of the movement, resulting in better timing results over time .
Thanks to the 4 small adjustable weights directly on the balance, no regulator indicator is required, allowing for more accurate and repeatable adjustments.
The rotor with variable geometry allows the rewinding of the mainspring to be most effectively adapted to the user’s activity level. By adjusting the setting of the rib position, the inertia of the rotor is modified to speed up or slow down the winding process according to the wearer’s lifestyle. The rotor is made of titanium with 18K white gold weights. The double barrel system guarantees a power reserve of 50 hours. mens replica watch