By Kien Lee
The RM 60-01 Regatta Flyback Chronograph is Richard Mille's first technical watch for navigating the seven seas.
Powered by the grade 5 titanium RMAC2 caliber with its 55 hours of power reserve, variable inertia balance, complete flyback chronograph functions, annual calendar with oversize date and UTC function, the RM 60-01 adds navigational capabilities with a special rotating bezel with indications of the four cardinal points combined with a graduated 360° and a 24-hour scale disk.
Its massive titanium grade 5 case measures 50 mm in diameter and 16.33 mm in thickness.
Launched in 2014, the drawing of the timepiece is seen on the sail of Sorcha, a spinnaker owned by Peter Harrison, CEO of Richard Mille Europe, Middle East and Africa, set to compete at the 52 Super Series TP52 World Championships taking place at Menorca, from 14 to 18 September 2016.
Using the RM 60-01 is based on two factors: knowledge of local time and the position of the sun.
To calculate one's location, the UTC indicator is directed towards the sun using the UTC pusher located at 9 o’clock and then the bezel is turned so that that the UTC hand lines up with the actual local time engraved on the bezel’s circumference.
When set in this manner, the compass headings North, South, East and West on the bezel will be correctly aligned with the actual direction on the Earth's surface. What differentiates the RM 60-01 form other similar types of watches is its ability to orientate within the northern as well as southern hemispheres without any additional calculations.
As an additional safety precaution, the chronograph pushers have a special quick locking and releasing mechanism. Locking — red arrow — and unlocking — green arrow — the flyback chronograph pushers requires only a quick turn of the secondary crown, thus avoiding possible accidental changes of the chronograph readout.
By using the pusher between 4 and 5 o'clock, the running chronograph can be reset without first having to stop the mechanism. This was originally developed for pilots, in order not to lose time (and therefore accuracy) from stopping, resetting and starting the chronograph whilst traversing a navigational point.
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.
Stopping: Use the start/stop pusher between 1 and 2 o'clock to stop the chronograph, then depress the reset/flyback pusher once.
Inside, the Richard Mille Calibre RMAC2 powers the automatic movement with hours, minutes, running seconds at 3 o'clock, oversize date, month, annual calendar, Flyback chronograph with central seconds counter, and 30 minute countdown timer at 9 o’clock, 24 hour totalizer at 6 o’clock, UTC function and adjustable rotor geometry.
When fully wound the calibre provides a power reserve of 50 hours.
The components of the movement are in grade 5 titanium with black PVD coating and the movement features 62 jewels, an Elinvar balance spring and Rubifix transparent escapement wheel jewels. All this is viewable from the display case back.
Richard Mille can be purchased at authorized retailers and the following locations:
Richard Mille Resorts World Sentosa
Lobby Level, Hotel Michael #02-102,
26 Sentosa Gateway Resort World Sentosa
Singapore 098269
(65) 6659 1313
Richard Mille Marina Bay Sands
1 Bayfront Avenue, #01-08 Marina Bay Sands Hotel
Singapore 018956
(65) 6336 1313
Richard Mille Grand Hyatt
10 Scotts Road,
Singapore 228211
(65) 6733 1313
