Richard Mille and Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) launch a limited edition of thirty pieces: RM 62-01 ACJ Vibrating Alarm Tourbillon. It is a watch inspired by the exclusive flights offered by ACJ. The part seeks to push the limits of functions and performance. All its characteristics are wonderful: it is complex, it has quality materials and its ergonomics is perfect. RM 62-01 ACJ Vibrating Alarm Tourbillon, is the second model resulting from the collaboration between Richard Mille and ACJ.
The aim of the watch is to be an object of daily use designed for travelers, that is why it has been conceived to preserve discretion in quiet environments. Capable of waking up the traveler without disturbing other passengers, the alarm is a real find. It is designed to be transmitted by vibrations, made possible by an inimitable technical approach. At first glance, this complication can be interpreted as a true paradox. This is because it is considered an effective alarm if it can be heard from a distance. In contrast, the alarm range of the RM 62-01 Tourbillon Vibrating Alarm ACJ does not exceed a few millimeters. This is a completely different experience from classic watchmaking alarm clocks and alarms, as the RM 62-01 is silent. It only produces a discreet vibration, imperceptible at a distance greater than a few centimeters. Its wearer is the only one capable of noticing that it is activated, an ideal detail to be used in a meeting room or in a first-class cabin. Its manufacture presented an enormous challenge, since the alarm should not alter the operation of the movement. For this, an off-center mass of solid gold was arranged, similar to an automatic watch rotor inspired by the old mobile phone vibrators. “Before setting up the full movement, a number of technical issues related to bringing the vibrations to the heart of the movement were resolved. It took four partial prototypes and a lot of work with sketches. It had to house 816 components, 2 barrels, 7 hands, 11 indications and a tourbillon cage. One of our manufacturers worked full time for five years, sometimes assisted by another manufacturer, with follow-up meetings every 15 days ”, says Salvador Arbona, Richard Mille’s Technical Director of Movements. All this process makes RM 62-01 the most complex watch that the firm has created so far. In addition to its extraordinary alarm, the watch is equipped with the UTC indication, which corresponds to a second time zone and is shown with a green needle in the center. Beneath the transparent sapphire dial and at 9 o’clock, the tourbillon has a variable inertia balance that oscillates at a frequency of 3Hz. At 12 o’clock, the oversized date indicated in the red striped window can be read. The movement has a power reserve of 70 hours. The space for the alarm functions is the bottom of the watch.
