RICHARD MILLE
RM 47 TOURBILLON by RICHARD MILLE
By: Mário de Castro
Art & spirituality are at the center stage at this new masterpiece creation designed as an esthetic tribute to Japanese culture.
Inspired by the spirituality and values of the bushido code, Richard Mille introduces the RM 47 Tourbillon, the fruit of intense reflection and nearly four years of design work. This is an artful watch of a new time, incorporating an extremely compact caliber, specifically designed to make room for a stylized Samurai suit of armour entirely crafted by hand.
Sixteen hours of engraving and nine hours of painting were required for the Samurai’s armour in 3N yellow gold.
This new model was born of a friendly conversation between Richard Mille and the twice Formula One world champion and brand partner Fernando Alonso, a passionate enthusiast of Japanese traditional arts and the Samurai principles.
Richard Mille’s ornamental watches are always surprising. The RM 47 Tourbillon was entirely hand-carved by the engraver Pierre-Alain Lozeron and painted by his wife Valérie Lozeron. This decoration, which is a work of sculpture as much as a piece of engraving, demanded patience, meticulousness, dexterity, and passion. ‘Between sword and chisel, between the cutting edge of the blade and the incisions defined by the precision of the engraver’s technique, there are many parallels to evoke the similarities between the qualities of these warriors and those demanded by our artistic crafts.’ As Pierre-Alain explains.
Evoking the spirit of bushido, the Samurai code of ethics whose values still prevail in Japanese society, the armour comes to life in 3N yellow gold, recalling the gold leaf used in ancient Japan to embellish the country’s finest shrines and certain works of traditional craftsmanship.
You must not be aware that the bushido spirit and the Asano clan family are linked. The chief of the family domain in the 18thcentury, Asano Naganori, was also the lord of the 47 ronin who avenged his death before following him into the afterworld. Their Kamon, or clan heraldic sign – each Samurai clan has one – is proudly featured on the tourbillon, at six o’clock.
RM47 is a symbol of perfection. In total, it took no less than 16 hours of engraving and 9 hours of painting – in all more than a whole day – to obtain the 11 components that make up the Samurai, perfectly integrated, front and back, around the movement of the RM47 Tourbillon.
It’s time to put it on your wrist…
www.richardmille.com
