SJX Watches
Richard Mille Introduces the RM 72-01 Lifestyle In-House Chronograph
Having relied on external suppliers for its chronograph movements since the very beginning, Richard Mille has just unveiled its first in-house chronograph calibre in the RM 72-01 Lifestyle In-House Chronograph. Ironically, the “Lifestyle” model name doesn’t do justice to the new CRMC1 movement within. Like most high-end chronographs, the CRMC1 has a column wheel as the one-off switch for the stopwatch, but in a novel twist, it has a pair of oscillating pinions to connect the chronograph wheels to the timekeeping gear train. Initial thoughts Richard Mille’s bestselling chronograph is the RM 11, which is powered by a modular calibre made up of a Vaucher base and a Dubois-Depraz module, making it uninteresting from a technical perspective. The new RM 72-01 is the opposite: it’s powered by a new movement that features a patented construction for the chronograph. Though the innovation in the movement is incremental – essentially reinterpreting existing ideas – it is still original. At the same time, the RM 72-01 is a notably compact watch for a sports chronograph, which should leave it sitting low on the wrist. In fact, the wearability of the RM 72-01 should trump the already excellent ergonomics of most Richard Mille watches. And perhaps most surprising is the price. It costs about the same as the RM 11, but boasts a clearly superior, proprietary movement. Even though the RM 72-01 is an extremely expensive watch – the base model costs about US$185,000 – it...
