Richard Mille is taking their relationship with the sport of Soccer to the next level this week with the release of the RM 41-01 Tourbillon Soccer (or Football, if you’d rather), a flyback chronograph featuring two new complications capable of tracking each phase of the game, as well as tracking the score mechanically. The concept builds on the match timing mechanics seen in the RM 11-01, and adds new display elements to provide a more cohesive and complete set of complications. It’s exactly the kind of thing we’ve come to expect from the brand, taking a theme to its limits both in material execution, and mechanical complexity.
If you’re anything like me, the game of soccer resides firmly in the periphery (at best), and any exposure is purely incidental. However, the sport’s impact on a global scale is impossible to miss, and many watch brands have long since made their presence felt by way of team and player partnerships, to league level sponsorship. Richard Mille has always taken a more personal approach to the sport, working with individuals to bring creative concepts to life in a way only they can, which is to say, dialed up to 11.
There is no doubt a level of theater with Richard Mille creations, and the new RM 41-01 is no exception. It’s a watch that defies understanding at a glance, forcing a closer examination not only to fully understand, but to fully appreciate the level of detail in every component. Speaking of, there are 650 components in the movement, and another 105 components making up the case. There is a lot going on here, and it comes as no surprise that it took five years of development to bring to fruition.
The RM 41-01 features a flyback chronograph, and a 60 second tourbillon, neither of which are anything new for Richard Mille. Layered within this is an indication of the progress of a match via rotating arm above nine o’clock, going from the first and second half, to two overtime periods. This is controlled with the flyback chronograph. Additionally, the goals scored by each team can be tracked with the press of a button at two o’clock (home team) and four o’clock (away team). The goals are tracked with a need across a linear display that goes to 9 before resetting, and each uses its own gear train. Both are novel complications in the manner they’ve been executed.
This all comes courtesy the new caliber RM41-01 (naturally), which was developed in collaboration with Audemars Piguet. One feature that’s become familiar with Richard Mille is a small display revealing the function currently selected for by the crown (neutral, winding, setting). Every piece has been finished meticulously, and each has been made as thin as possible, though the watch is subjected to 120 shock tests developed by Richard Mille, including a 5,000g test.
All of this is set within a Red Carmine Basalt TPT carbon case developed with North Thin Ply Technology and derived from the volcanic rock. There is also a Dark Blue Quartz TPT case being offered here, and each look to have been created in the kind of lab you’d find pieces of F1 cars being developed. Both are limited to 30 units planned for production.
Niche watches like this can be pretty hit or miss, with most being in the latter category, if you ask me. It’s rare to find a watch that manages to rise above the subject matter that inspired it, and become something interesting even for folks ignorant of the niche itself. That’s just what Richard Mille has done here with the RM 41-01. This is a tour de force of mechanical engineering and there’s plenty to appreciate here, regardless of your feelings on soccer. Pricing falls in the ‘if you have to ask…’ range. Richard Mille
