Polo is a true gentleman’s game. The perfect combination of man and beast, strength and precision, speed and tranquility. On its own, the RM 53-01 is Richard Mille’s “amazing” new encounter with one of the world’s best players, Pablo Mac Donough results.
Following on from the first armor solution to grace the wrist of Pablo Mac Donough, the new version of the Polo series we present here is the result of exhaustive fieldwork and thousands of hours of research and development. The RM 53-01 Tourbillon Pablo Mac Donough showcases the movement’s remarkable shock resistance (indispensable in this case), combined with a new aesthetic.
A world first in watchmaking, the RM 53-01’s sapphire laminated glass is able to absorb extreme shocks without cracking.
Dual skeleton baseplate with grade 5 titanium bridges
Grade 5 titanium for the bridges and the highly atypical double-plate construction consisting of a first “central” plate holding the movement’s wheels firmly together, and a second “peripheral” plate connected to the central plate The entire tensioner system is supported by cables. Review copy watch
Titanium grade 5 is a biocompatible alloy used in the aerospace industry with high corrosion resistance, exceptional light weight and low coefficient of expansion.
The suspension movement and the titanium metal composition of 90% titanium, 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium together increase the strength of the movement, ensuring smooth operation and optimal shock resistance of the running wheel train.
The skeletonized baseplate and bridges have been individually and extensively validated to meet stringent strength requirements and provide an extremely high weight/drag ratio.
The core movement of the RM 53-01 is supported by two braided steel cables with a diameter of only 0.27 mm. The tensioning of these cables is done by means of 10 pulleys and 4 tensioners fixed to the peripheral base plate and sides of the main bridge. The cable runs through the block and pulley system and connects to the tensioner on the other side. The watchmaker tensions the system by tightening a spline screw located in the center of each tensioner. Pulleys ensure that the tension on the cables remains constant, thus keeping the system balanced. The RM53-01 movement is designed to be suspended within the case and can withstand impacts of more than 5,000 grams.
Sprung balance with variable inertia
This type of balance represents the ultimate innovation. It guarantees greater reliability under shock and during movement assembly or disassembly, resulting in better timekeeping results over time. Regulator indexes have been eliminated and more accurate and repeatable calibrations are possible thanks to 4 small adjustable weights located directly on the balance. perfect fashion watches
Carbon TPT case
Carbon TPT® is virtually indestructible and has exceptional physical properties, enabling lighter shells and ideal shock protection. Carbon TPT® consists of 600 layers of parallel filaments obtained by separating carbon filaments. The Carbon TPT® layers have a maximum thickness of 30 microns, are impregnated with resin, and then compiled on special machines that modify the fiber direction by 45° between each layer. Once heated to 120°C and subjected to a pressure of 6 bar, Carbon TPT® is processed at Richard Mille’s factory. Carbon TPT® is known for its excellent resistance to micro-cracking and cracking.
The entire case construction is water resistant to 50 meters with two Nitrile O-ring seals and assembled using 20 spline screws in grade 5 titanium and 316L stainless steel washers.
A world first in watchmaking, the RM 53-01’s sapphire laminated glass is able to absorb extreme shocks without cracking. In the event of impact, this glass may break, but in no case will it shatter, thereby protecting the movement, which was verified in the impact pendulum test, when a 4.5 kg weight was added metal spikes.
This milestone achievement began with the creation of two arched layers of sapphire glass, polished to a mirror finish on both sides, and then coated with an anti-reflective coating. Thereafter, an extremely thin layer of special vinyl is deposited between them and the three parts are fused together. After creating this basic sapphire unit, it also required 16 hours of finish milling on a 5-axis machine. During this process, the risk of scratches or nicks is very high, which is compounded by the inability to bond the glass in place.
Not only is this new technology being developed, but the many steps involved in its production—starting with a piece of sapphire and ending with assembly—explain the cost of this protective glass unit, which is the equivalent of Richard Mille’s standard sapphire glass. Ten times the uses. Popular cheap watch
Torque Limiting Crown
This extra safety system prevents accidental winding that might damage the winding arbor or put extreme stress on the mainspring barrel.