2013/01/31
*RICHARD MILLE "New Productions 2013"
RICHARD MILLE the Automatic Flyback Chronograph RM 11-01 Roberto MANCINI
The former footballer Roberto Mancini has an impressive list of titles to his credit. As a player, he won the Italian championships six times, was voted Player of the Year in the Italian league twice, was twice part of the winning European Cup Winners’ Cup team and also lifted the UEFA Super Cup. Given this exceptional career, it was only natural for Roberto Mancini to turn manager and, in 2009, he took the mighty Manchester City team under his wing, guiding them to victory in this year’s Premier League.
Roberto Mancini’s personality won Richard Mille over immediately: an unrivalled tactician, he shines with his inventiveness and elegance on the pitch. A true gentleman of football, he is the very image of the brand: refined, technically brilliant and creative. The RM 11-01 was designed especially for this new Richard Mille partner.
During a football match, both halves, extra time and stoppage time are all nerve-wracking periods for a manager. Tactics are decided according to the remaining match time, and strategies can lead to either victory or defeat. Roberto Mancini was looking for an ultra-technical instrument to assist him not only during matches, but especially during extra time, when the remaining minutes are no longer displayed to the players or their manager. It is a moment of intense anxiety for the latter, who no longer has any match-specific temporal reference points.
Richard Mille chose to collaborate with Roberto Mancini on the creation of the RM 11-01. Equipped with the caliber RMAC1, this timepiece offers an annual calendar, a flyback chronograph with central minutes counter and a dial divided into periods of play. Although its operation appears extremely simple, in reality it is unique in watchmaking. The dial displays match time on the basis of two 45-minute halves and up to 15 minutes of stoppage time. Pressing the pusher at 4 o’clock once actuates the flyback function and repositions the hand at 12 o’clock, ready to start the second half. If extra time is awarded, the flyback function can be reactuated so that the watch shows the 15 minutes of extra match time and up to 5 minutes of stoppage time.
The case of the RM 11-01 reproduces the celebrated design of the RM 011. It is tonneau shaped and made in three parts from grade 5 titanium and has Nitril O-ring seals that make it water-resistant to 50 metres. It is assembled using 20 spline screws, also in grade 5 titanium, and with wear-resistant 316L steel washers. Completing this extremely ergonomic case required 420 hours of design work and over 200 machining operations.
For the Manchester City manager, the RM 11-01 Roberto Mancini is the ideal instrument for following a match and choosing the best strategies for victory.
Available in red gold and titanium.
CALIBER RMAC1: automatic winding movement with hours, minutes, seconds, flyback chronograph, central minutes counter, 12-hour totalizer, annual calendar and adjustable rotor geometry.
Dimensions: 50.00 x 42.70 x 16.15 mm.
MAIN FEATURES
POWER RESERVE
Circa 50 hours (±10%). Actual power reserve results will depend on the period of time the chronograph is utilized.
BASEPLATE AND BRIDGES MADE OF GRADE 5 TITANIUM
The manufacture of these components in grade 5 titanium with black PVD coating allows the whole assembly to be given great rigidity, as well as precise surface flatness which is essential for the perfect functioning of the gear train.
FLYBACK CHRONOGRAPH
By using the pusher between 4 and 5 o’clock, the running chronograph can be reset without first having to stop the mechanism.
The flyback chronograph equipping the RM 11-01 Mancini was designed for a football match. The dial displays match time based on each 45-minute half and can take up to 15 minutes of stoppage time into account. During each half, a single press on the push-piece at 4 o’clock activates the flyback function and sends the hand back to 12 o’clock, ready to start timing the second half. If extra time is awarded, the watch displays an additional 15 minutes and up to 5 minutes of stoppage time.
Running operation: the user can start or stop the chronograph function via the pusher located between 1 and 2 o’clock. The Flyback Function can be continuously reset at will by depressing the second pusher located between 4 and 5 o’clock.
OVERSIZE DATE DISPLAY
Semi-instantaneous, placed in a green outlined horizontal aperture under 12 o’clock with automatic adjustment for months of 30 or 31 days.
MONTH DISPLAY
Semi-instantaneous indicate with Arabic numerals, placed between 4 and 5 o’clock.
FREE SPRUNG BALANCE WITH VARIABLE INERTIA
This type of balance wheel represents the ultimate in innovation. It guarantees greater reliability when subjected to shock and also during movement assembly and disassembly, hence better chronometric results over time.
The regulator index is eliminated and a more accurate and repeatable adjustment is possible thanks to 4 small adjustable weights located directly on the balance.
ROTOR WITH VARIABLE GEOMETRY
- Arm in grade 2 titanium
- Flange in grade 5 titanium
- 6-positional adjustment via grade 5 titanium screws
- Wings in 18K, high palladium content white gold
- Weight segment in tungsten/cobalt alloy
- Ceramic ball bearings
- Unidirectional; anti-clockwise winding direction
This exclusive Richard Mille design allows the rewinding of the mainspring to be adapted most effectively to the user’s activity level whether it be sporting or non-sporting environments. By adjusting the setting of the rib’s placement, the rotor’s inertia is modified to either speed up the winding process in the case of leisurely arm movements, or slow it down when sporting activities are pursued. As a result, this invention allows the movement’s winding mechanism to be optimized and personalized to the owner’s lifestyle.
DOUBLE BARREL SYSTEM
The double barrel system contributes to the torque stability over a longer period.
This is achieved by using more rotations of the barrel, thereby reducing pressure and wear on the teeth, bearings and pivots, hence an improved long-term performance.
SPLINE SCREWS IN GRADE 5 TITANIUM FOR THE BRIDGES
This permits better control of the torque applied to the screws during assembly.
These screws are therefore unaffected by physical manipulation during assembly or disassembly and age well.
OTHER FEATURES
- Dimensions of movement: 30.25 x 38.45 mm
- Thickness: 9.00 mm
- Number of jewels: 68
- Barrel arbor – in AP 20 steel
- Balance: Glucydur, 4 arms, inertia moment 4.8 mg.cm2, angle of lift 53o
- Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Balance spring: ELINVAR by Nivarox®
- Index assembly: Triovis N°2
- Shock protection: INCABLOC 908.22.211.100 (transparent)
- Escapement wheel jewels: Rubifix (transparent)
- Stem with three positions: manual winding, date, hand setting
CASE
This was the subject of an entire year of research and development. With regard to the production of each case, 68 different stamping operations are required for the three main components (bezel, middle section and case back).
The machine tooling process requires 8 days of adjusting the machines for the bezel, 5 days for the middle section and 5 days for the case back. Prior to this process, developing a methodology for carrying out this series of operations took 120 hours, the drawings for the tools 130 hours, and implemention 180 hours.
Each rough case involves 202 separate machining operations.
The design and execution of the watch demonstrates a complete conceptual approach to the movement, case and dial. As a result, everything has been constructed according to an extremely rigorous specification, in the manner of the analytical engineering methods used in the design of Formula 1 racing cars where the chassis and the engine are developed in complete harmony.
For example, a casing ring is no longer used and the movement is mounted on chassis mounting rubbers (ISO SW) fixed by 4 titanium screws.
The tripartite case of the RM 11-01 Roberto Mancini, satin-finished, is water resistant to 50 meters, ensured by two Nitril O-ring seals. The case is assembled with 20 spline screws in grade 5 titanium and abrasion resistant washers in 316L stainless steel.
SPLINE SCREWS IN GRADE 5 TITANIUM FOR THE CASE
This permits better control of the torque applied to the screws during assembly. These screws are therefore unaffected by physical manipulation during assembly or disassembly and age well.
INTERIOR FLANGES
In carbon fiber filled with an approved luminescent material.
CROWN
In grade 5 titanium, microblasted with double seal O ring and collar in Alcryn®.
DIAL
In sapphire (thickness: 0.40 mm) with anti-glare treatment (2 sides), protected by 8 silicon braces inserted in the upper and lower flanges grooves.
CRYSTAL
Bezel side: in sapphire (1800 Vickers) with anti-glare treatment (2 sides). Thickness: 1.50 mm Case back: in sapphire with anti-glare treatment (2 sides) Thickness: at the center 1.20 mm and outer edges 2.04 mm
FINISHING
MOVEMENT
- Baseplate and bridges in grade 5 titanium, hand-polished, wet sandblasted and PVD treated
- Bridge in black anodized aluminium on the dial side
- Anglage and polishing by hand
- Locking sections hand polished
- Burnished pivots
- Diamond polished sinks
- Pinions with undercuts
- Sandblasted and rhodium-plated, beveled wheels
STEEL PARTS
- Sapphire blasted surfaces
- Anglage and polishing by hand
- Screw slot and screws beveled and polished with rounded and polished tip.
WHEELS
- Concave chamfering with a diamond tool
- Circular-decorated faces
- Gilding (before cutting the teeth)
- Minimal corrections to preserve the geometry of the wheels and their performance
