Avant-grade watchmaker Richard Mille has introduced a brand new iteration of its RM 21-02 Tourbillon Aerodyne timepiece. Featuring a fascinating black and white colorway, the signature Richard Mille case is crafted out of Quartz TPT, Carbon TPT, and titanium. As far as the overall design and the movement go, the new watch is very similar to all the versions of the RM 21-02 we’ve seen over the years ever since it originally debuted in 2009. However, it’s the choice of materials and the new monochromatic looks that not only make the latest iteration stand apart but also give it a very contemporary look.
The tonneau-shaped case of the timepiece measures 42.7 by 50.1 mm with a thickness of 14.3mm. While the bezel has been crafted out of Quartz TPT and the caseband is made of grade 5 titanium, the case of the 2023 version of RM 21-02 Tourbillon Aerodyne also features Carbon TPT, a material often used in aeronautics to create fuselage and also Formula 1 machines. The skeletonized dial gets large Arabic numerals along with colorful indicators for power reserve and torque. The tourbillon is symmetrically located at 6 o’clock.
The skeletonized dial as well as the transparent cashback both offers a view of the timepiece’s mainplate crafted from HAYNES 214, which is an alloy consisting of nickel, chromium, aluminum, and iron. The material is capable of withstanding temperatures in excess of 955 degrees Celsius. The mainplate has been given a jet-black PVD finish to match the monochromatic look of the watch, which also features a geometric honeycomb pattern that provides extreme stiffness with a low thermal expansion coefficient. The pattern was created by NASA as core material for supersonic aircraft wings.
Inside the case is the same Caliber RM21-02 manual-wind movement, which beats at a frequency of 21,600vph (3 Hz) and offers a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. The timepiece comes paired with a ventilated strap made from white rubber with black contrasting inlays, which matches the colorway of the watch. The production of the new 2023 Richard Mille RM 21-02 Tourbillon Aerodyne is limited to just 50 units, each priced at $928,000.
