Elite Traveler Spring 2019

STYLE CRAFTMANSHIP by Kristen Shirley

Although Richard Mille might be best known for its extremely technical, sporty timepieces (think tennis champion Rafael Nadal wearing his $725,000 watch during major tennis tournaments), its ladies’ watches are beginning to grab more attention, thanks to the combination of beauty and brains. For its ladies’ collection director Cécile Guenat’s debut, the house released its first-ever automatic tourbillon, RM 71-01 Automatic Tourbillon Talisman. A former jewelry designer, Guenat brings a new visual identity to the timepieces, while keeping them instantly recognizable as a Richard Mille. Come into its Swiss workshops to see how these incredible timepieces were created. Richard Mille B E H I N D T H E S C E N E S

T H E MOV E M E N T The skeletonized movement weighs just 8g, thanks to its ultra-light titanium components, and it has a 50-hour power reserve. It’s quite robust and designed for everyday wear. But it’s not just functional: The variable-geometry rotor is gem-set with diamonds, and components have been chamfered and polished by hand.

D E S I G N Without traditional watch training, Guenat brought a purely fine-jewelry approach to her design, which is fitting since many women consider their watches to be pieces of jewelry (especially when studded with diamonds). Guenat was so inspired by the new movement, which had been in development for several years, that she came up with not one but 10 different designs. Each shares an Art Deco aesthetic featuring strong geometric lines and a color palette of diamond, black sapphire, mother-of-pearl and onyx, as well as a traditional tonneau-shaped case, but each dial and case design is different.