• The RM 60-01 Automatic Flyback Chronograph Les Voiles de St Barth, a new limited edition of 80 pieces
  
• Supporting the event through thick and thin, despite this year’s cancellation
  
• Richard Mille will donate all the proceeds from the sale of an RM 60-01 to local causes in St Barths

The brand is determined to support this stunning event through trying times. Richard Mille presents a new 80 limited pieces edition, the RM 60-01 Automatic Flyback Chronograph Les Voiles de St Barth, a proof of its long-term commitment to one of the world’s leading regattas, through thick and thin!

A brief return to St Barths in April 2020 had initially given hope that the 2021 edition of Les Voiles would go ahead. New conditions for entering and leaving the island together with quarantine and obligatory reasons for travel unfortunately made such an international event logistically impossible even this year.

Every edition of Les Voiles has seen the winner receive a Richard Mille watch. With no event this year we deemed it the obligation of Richard Mille to donate all the proceeds of the sale of an RM 60-01 to local causes in St Barths. The brand is in talks with the authorities to decide together which projects could benefit from this whether it be for local health facilities or environmental projects.

Veering from serene to extreme, Les Voiles de St Barth Richard Mille has always stood out as a state of the art rendez-vous for top notch competitiveness and record-breaking technology. Richard Mille was there right from the start in 2010. Over its first decade the competition welcomed tens of thousands of sailors and close to 500 boats from the four corners of the world – on average 80 crews competing in 7 classes each edition – swiftly imposing itself as one of the highlights of the Caribbean season. The heady mix of extreme conditions makes this event truly unique.

Due to this success, Richard Mille decided to set a new course in 2019, nailing its colors to the mast as title sponsor for the re-baptized Les Voiles de St Barth Richard Mille. “We have supported the event from the get-go. It is a thrill to see the recognition this international regatta has now achieved. Every year the quality of the yachts and crew reaffirms its status as the race to win in the Caribbean,” said Tim Malachard, Marketing Director at Richard Mille.

The RM 028 Les Voiles de St Barth edition was the first with 100 timepieces in 2010 and marked the event’s inception. The baton was subsequently passed to the RM 60-01 Regatta with 50 pieces editions in both 2015 and 2017. Impossible to imagine a watch more specifically developed to meet the needs of skippers worldwide. Powered by the automatic-winding movement RMAC2 calibre, it has an autonomy of circa 55 hours. A flyback chronograph and oversize date display at 12 o’clock together with its month indicator make it the perfect companion for the high seas. A 60-minute countdown timer at 9 o’clock combined with the 24-hour totalizer at 6 o’clock add to the nautical mindset.

Its main asset: The orientation both of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres without any calculation. The UTC hand is placed pointing towards the sun. Then the rotating bezel - for the first time in Carbon TPT®, - just needs to be set in order for the UTC hand to indicate the local hour displayed on the bezel. The compass headings North, South, East and West therefore align themselves with the actual direction on the Earth’s surface.

This adaptability anywhere on the high seas is what sets the RM 60-01 apart from other “regatta” watches.

With the regatta’s colors flying high, the superb flange in turquoise highlighted with Les Voiles de St Barth Richard Mille logo on the glass back, the RM 60-01 Automatic Flyback Chronograph Les Voiles de St Barth can truly claim pride of place as a watch for the Seven Seas. What better emblem, what better symbol of the brand’s unswerving support could there be as we all set sail - hopefully! –towards a gleaming new regatta in 2022.

Limited edition of 80 pieces.

Caliber RMAC2: automatic winding movement with hours, minutes, running seconds at 3 o’clock, oversize date, month, annual calendar, flyback chronograph with central seconds counter, and 60-minute countdown timer at 9 o’clock, 24-hour totalizer at 6 o’clock, UTC function and adjustable rotor geometry.

Case diameter: 50.00 x 16.33 mm



Power reserve: Circa 55 hours (±10%) without chronograph running.
Actual power reserve results will depend on the period of time the chronograph is utilised.

Baseplate, bridges and balance cock made of grade 5 titanium
These components are in grade 5 titanium with black PVD coating. This provides the whole assembly great rigidity, as well as precise surface flatness that 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. This was originally developed for pilots in order to not waste time (and therefore accuracy) from stopping, resetting and starting the chronograph whilst crossing a navigational point.

While the chronograph function is activated, the hours and minutes show up the elapsed time thanks to the counter at 6 and 9 o’clock, the seconds are indicated by the central hands.

Function:
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 by depressing the second pusher located between 4 and 5 o’clock.

Countdown
Located at 9 o’clock, the hand is replaced by a skeletonised 60 minutes-marked disc. The pilot can read minutes elapsed but also remaining minutes.

UTC Function
The RM 60-01 features a UTC hand that can be used either as a second time zone indicator or in combination with the sun and the rotating bezel to orientate the points of the compass. It can be easily adjusted using the pusher at 8 o’clock.

Oversize date display
Semi-instantaneous, placed in a red outlined horizontal aperture under 12 o’clock with automatic adjustment for months of 30 or 31 days.

Month display
Semi-instantaneous indicated by 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 shocks and during movement assembly or disassembly, hence better chronometric results over time. The regulator index is eliminated, and a more accurate and repeatable calibration is possible thanks to 4 small, adjustable weights located directly on the balance.

Variable-geometry rotor

• Arm in grade 2 titanium
  
• Flange in grade 5 titanium
  
• 6-positional adjustment via grade 5 titanium screws
  
• Ribs in 18K white gold, high palladium content
  
• Weight segment in white gold
  
• 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. 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 optimised.

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 case and bridges
Due their design, these screws offer better control of the torque applied during assembly. These screws are therefore unaffected by physical manipulation during assembly or disassembly and age well.

• Diameter of the movement: 39.15 mm
  
• Thickness: 9.00 mm
  
• Jewels: 62
  
• BBalance: Glucydur®, 4 arms, moment of inertia 4.8 mg.cm², angle of lift 53°
  
• Frequency: 28,800 vph (4Hz)
  
• Balance spring: elinvar by Nivarox®
  
• Shock protection: INCABLOC 908.22.211.100 (transparent)
  
• Escapement wheel jewels: Rubifix (transparent)
  
• Stem with three positions: manual winding, date adjustment, time setting

Case
The case features a unique four-part structure extremely difficult to make. The system is completed by the incorporation of the titanium horns in the case assembly. After a turning operation lasting 1 hour and 40 minutes, no less than 800 milling operations are required, taking several hours. Machining demands nearly 11 hours of separate operations. It is followed by a meticulous quality control procedure that takes a full day for each case. The 3 pushers, their components and the crown of the RM 60-01 require 10 days of machining, during which they undergo numerous tests for water- resistance and quality control, followed by the manual brushing and polishing of the entire case. All of these stages are vital in producing the characteristic ergonomic quality of Richard Mille watches.

The caseband is in titanium with Carbon TPT® inserts. The pusher-caps protector are also in Carbon TPT®.

The case is water resistant to 100 metres ensured by 2 Nitrile O-ring seals. The case is assembled with 46 grade 5 titanium spline screws and abrasion-resistant washers in 316 L stainless steel.

Bidirectional bezel with compass
The RM 60-01 has been conceived to allow navigators to orient themselves at sea thanks to the rotating bezel featuring the display of the four cardinal points, a measuring disc of 360° and a 24-hour scale. The bidirectional bezel is in grade 5 titanium and Carbon TPT®.

Its functioning principle relies on 2 factors: the knowledge of the local time and the position of the sun in the sky. First, the UTC hand is placed pointing towards the sun. Then the rotating bezel just needs to be set in order for the UTC hand to indicate the local hour displayed on the bezel. North, East, South and West are then shown to the user. What differentiates the RM 60-01 from the other “regatta” watches is that it can be used for orientation in both the northern and the southern hemispheres without any calculation, simply by selecting the appropriate scale.

Locking crown
In order to avoid accidental actuation resulting from an error of manipulation, Richard Mille developed a secondary locking crown that is able to lock both pushers simultaneously with a simple turn. The green and red indexes respectively show whether the locking mechanism is in operation or deactivated. This complex, innovative mechanism is exclusive to Richard Mille.

Upper flange
In carbon fiber with a turquoise surface treatment with index points filled with approved luminous material. Lower flange in black galvanized metal.

Dial
In sapphire (thickness: 0.40 mm) with anti-glare treatment (on both sides), protected by 8 silicon braces inserted in the upper and lower grooves.

Crystal

• Bezel side: In sapphire (1800 Vickers) with anti-glare treatment (on both sides)
  Thickness: 2.20 mm
  
• Caseback: In sapphire with anti-glare treatment (on both sides)
  Thickness: at the center 1.00 mm and at outer edges 1.91 mm

Movement

• Baseplate and bridges in hand-ground grade 5 titanium, wet sandblasted, top face polished by hand PVD treated
  
• Burnished pivots
  
• Diamond polished sinks on the bridge side
  
• Pinions with undercuts
  
• Sandblasted and rhodium-plating, beveled wheels (before cutting)
  
• Minimum correction applied to the wheels in order to preserve geometry and performance.

Steel parts

• Sapphire blasted and hand-drawn surfaces
  
• Screw slot and screws beveled and polished with rounded and polished tip