SIHH 2019: Richard Mille

Richard Mille playing ‘Sugar Daddy’ at this year’s SIHH bringing in the fun and playful elements into his Candyland where all watches are made of colourful sweets and fruits.

The two main collections are the Bonbon (French for candy) and the Fruit. Richard Mille has taken the lid off a candy jar to reveal two kinds of confections for the wrist. Based on three of the brand’s iconic models, the RM 07-03, RM 16-01 and RM 37-01, these offer a passage back to childhood with the simple pleasure of slightly regressive and thoroughly tasty memories, to be enjoyed without moderation. The idea was to revisit the existing collections while playing with colour. This allowed Richard to bring out a pop-inspired sense of fun. In all, they had developed a palette of 60 colours for this unisex collection.

The Sweets collection comprises four models, all with two-tone ceramic cases that set off their grand feu enamel or black-chromed titanium confections. The RM 07-03 Cupcake, RM 07-03 Marshmallow, RM 37-01 Sucette and RM 16-01 Réglisse are colourful and delectable, evoking a whole spectrum of flavours. Better yet, the textures you expect to encounter upon biting into these sweets are conjured visually thanks to a mastery of enamelwork that succeeds in evoking sensations like softness, crunchiness, and fluffiness. The creamy quality of the TZP ceramic case is enhanced by the varied matt and polished effects of elements on the dial. Black, a foundational colour in the technical vocabulary of Richard Mille, is presented in a whole new light here, as a giant roll of liquorice that occupies the entire surface of a dial. Here, the most satisfactory solution for obtaining the liquorice shape of the RM 16-01 was a stamping operation, followed by a black chrome coating that lends this piece its spot-on colour and texture.

The Sweets collection comprises four models, all with two-tone ceramic cases that set off their grand feu enamel or black-chromed titanium confections. The RM 07-03 Cupcake, RM 07-03 Marshmallow, RM 37-01 Sucette and RM 16-01 Réglisse are colourful and delectable, evoking a whole spectrum of flavours. Better yet, the textures you expect to encounter upon biting into these sweets are conjured visually thanks to a mastery of enamelwork that succeeds in evoking sensations like softness, crunchiness, and fluffiness. The creamy quality of the TZP ceramic case is enhanced by the varied matt and polished effects of elements on the dial. Black, a foundational colour in the technical vocabulary of Richard Mille, is presented in a whole new light here, as a giant roll of liquorice that occupies the entire surface of a dial. Here, the most satisfactory solution for obtaining the liquorice shape of the RM 16-01 was a stamping operation, followed by a black chrome coating that lends this piece its spot-on colour and texture.

The Fruit line is a homage to the very concept of sweet temptation in six delectable flavours: Lemon and Strawberry (RM 16-01 Citron et Fraise), Blueberry and Litchi (RM 07-03 Myrtille et Litchi), Kiwi and Cherry (RM 37-01 Kiwi et Cerise). In addition to colour-gradient cases made of Carbon TPT® combined with Quartz TPT® of a different hue for each model is an all-new turquoise colour. Painted in acrylics and lacquered by hand, the 3,000 miniature sculptures integrated in these compositions stand out from the dials, turning each one into a sachet full of tiny candies. To further enhance their realism, a ‘sugar coating’ effect was achieved using powdered enamel and the fine sand employed in hourglasses. Tart jelly ribbons, twisty lollipops, candy citrus segments, gumdrops and other surprises are positioned on plates of grade 5 titanium that are machined and skeletonized like horological components.

The Fruit line is a homage to the very concept of sweet temptation in six delectable flavours: Lemon and Strawberry (RM 16-01 Citron et Fraise), Blueberry and Litchi (RM 07-03 Myrtille et Litchi), Kiwi and Cherry (RM 37-01 Kiwi et Cerise). In addition to colour-gradient cases made of Carbon TPT® combined with Quartz TPT® of a different hue for each model is an all-new turquoise colour. Painted in acrylics and lacquered by hand, the 3,000 miniature sculptures integrated in these compositions stand out from the dials, turning each one into a sachet full of tiny candies. To further enhance their realism, a ‘sugar coating’ effect was achieved using powdered enamel and the fine sand employed in hourglasses. Tart jelly ribbons, twisty lollipops, candy citrus segments, gumdrops and other surprises are positioned on plates of grade 5 titanium that are machined and skeletonized like horological components.