Almost as soon as the company was born two decades ago, Richard Mille established itself as the ne plus ultra of horological innovation – the Swiss luxury watchmaker that most consistently pushes back the boundaries of what is possible in a timepiece, both technologically and aesthetically. Emblematic of this excellence in quality and excellence is their RM 65-01 Automatic Split Seconds Chronograph, the latest release in what has already been an eventful year for the brand.

As the most complicated timepiece ever produced by Richard Mille’s workshops, it is the result of a gruelling five years of development. From its dazzling dial, packed with indications from a chronograph to a small seconds, to its sleek case in beautiful grey Quartz TPT, this is a sports watch of unparalleled technical sophistication.

That sophistication starts with the case. Quartz TPT, a highly technical material developed by Richard Mille, is made from incredibly thin filaments of quartz that are fused together under high heat to create a spectacular mottled, textured finish. Quartz TPT can be found across the bezel, caseband and caseback of the RM 65-01, where it forms a stunning aesthetic contrast with the micro-blasted, polished, satin-finished grade 5 titanium found on the crown, the chronograph buttons and the plate engraved with the name of the watch on the caseband – as well as within the movement, on the chassis and bridges.

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The action-packed dial shows off a variety of indications, including a split-second hand to calculate intermediate times, the first time Richard Mille has included such a feature on a watch with an automatic movement. In a charming touch that also aids legibility, the various features on the dial are each indicated by a different colour: light blue for the hours, minutes and small seconds at 6 o’clock; blue for the date display; orange for the chronograph’s sweep seconds hand, and the 30-minute and 12-hour totalisers; yellow for the winding mechanism; and purple for the split-seconds hand.

In another first for Richard Mille, the RM 65-01 comes with a rapid winding mechanism, activated by a lemon yellow Quartz TPT pusher at 8 o’clock. A particularly challenging technical achievement, the mechanism allows the barrel to be fully wound with just 125 presses of the pusher.

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At the watch’s heart is a powerful calibre developed by Richard Mille in collaboration with renowned Swiss movement maker Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier. It comes with a power reserve of 60 hours, thanks to a fast rotating barrel; while extremely timekeeping accuracy and precise stopwatch calculations are guaranteed by a high frequency balance with variable inertia. The piece also comes equipped with a new gearbox, which allows the wearer to easily toggle between three modes – traditional winding, semi-instantaneous date adjustment and setting the time – by pressing a function selector in the crown. It’s no surprise to learn that the watch contains more than 600 components.

As well as grey Quartz TPT, the RM 65-01 also comes in renditions in Carbon TPT, 5N red gold and titanium – ensuring there’s a version for everyone of the most advanced of watches from the most advanced of watchmakers.

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