Richard Mille: RM 41-01 Tourbillon Soccer

Richard Mille’s relationship with the world of soccer started with the RM 11-01 and the RM 11-04 Roberto Mancini, which introduced an innovative match-time display. Taking this daring concept even further, the newRM 41-01 Tourbillon Soccer tackles a unique challenge: fully tracking a match through the prism of Haute Horlogerie from kick-off to the final whistle, taking note of every goal. 

To bring this vision to life, the Brand began with a blank canvas. The team spent five years developing an entirely novel, patented tourbillon flyback chronograph calibre. Two new complications are introduced here: the match-phase indication and the mechanical goal counter, demonstrating the Brand’s ability to merge sport-specific functionality with advanced mechanical watchmaking. 

COMPLICATIONS DESIGNED FOR THE TIME OF FOOTBALL

The RM 41-01 Tourbillon Soccer draws its identity from its new calibre, a clear expression of technical mastery and refined hand-finishing. Developed in collaboration with Audemars Piguet le Locle, the RM41-01 titanium calibre integrates a tourbillon escapement, a 70-hour power-reserve and a function indicator alongside a flyback chronograph with overlapping central minutes and seconds. 

The first all-new original complication featured in this watch, the match-time indicator, is located at 9 o’clock and indicates the current phase of the match. Each reset of the flyback chronograph advances the display from 1st to 2nd Half, followed by 1st and 2nd Overtime. Opposite this window sits the iconic function indicator at 4 o’clock: three titanium plates over a lacquered background display which of the winding, neutral or hand-setting functions is active. 

Crafted from microblasted grade 5 titanium, the movement architecture pushes the limits of technical feasibility. Baseplate and bridges are highly skeletonised to provide room for its 650 internal components. On the flyback chronograph side, two column wheels orchestrate a dance of levers and hammers. The chronograph’s overall design ensures a coherent and rational distribution of components without unnecessary layering that favours technical solutions to optimise functions. 

Framing the movement, microblasted and satin-finished titanium flanges, a triumph of complex machining, showcase the RM 41-01’s second exclusive complication: the mechanical goal counters. These track the scores of home and visiting teams using the pushers at 2 and 4 o’clock. Each press advances the hands along metallic rails via a dedicated gear train, showing up to nine goals before automatically returning to zero. 

This new configuration, which brings together nearly 800 components including the case and the strap, required extensive validation protocols to ensure that the RM 41-01 could withstand all 120 of Richard Mille’s internal shock-resistance tests, including the ultimate 5,000 g’s trial. 

RADICAL GEOMETRIES, FINISHING WITHOUT COMPROMISE

Richard Mille brings the concept of skeletonisation to its apotheosis: every bridge, gear, and lever is meticulously optimised to remove unnecessary material. This approach reduces weight and brings to bear an extraordinary number of finishing techniques. Every component of the movement, seen or unseen, offers a level of finishing that reflects countless hours of painstaking handcraftsmanship. The microblasted bridges feature complex, hand-finished geometries, with PVD coatings to enhance legibility of the calibre’s architecture. Adapting the same finishing, the baseplate receives hand-applied white lacquer to highlight the engraving. 

For its part, the minute-counter bridge showcases Richard Mille’s mastery of titanium with its contrasting rounded contours and sharp, linear forms. Microblasted, with hand-polished chamfers prior to PVD treatment, it features graduated angles and straight-grained upper surfaces. This finish is also found on the 5N PVD-treated titanium bridge securing the fast- rotating barrel, itself inspired by the hexagonal pattern of a soccer ball. Contrasting colours and types of finishing emphasise the depth and skeletonisation of the movement. 

A CASE WITHOUT COMPROMISE

True to the brand’s identity, the RM 41-01 Tourbillon Soccer prioritises usability and ergonomics. Designed to deliver both comfort and a strong presence on the wrist, the 105- component tonneau-shaped case is presented in two versions, each limited to 30 pieces. 

The first of these introduces Basalt TPT, the latest composite developed with North Thin Ply Technology (NTPT) and derived from the eponymous volcanic rock. Like the dark blue Quartz TPT used in the second case iteration and the Carbon TPT found on both casebands, Basalt TPT combines exceptional mechanical performance with resistance to chemicals and corrosion, thermal stability, and UV resistance. 

Aesthetically, Basalt TPT presents its own distinct design language. The 40-micron-thick basalt fibres (vs. 30 and 45 microns for carbon and silicon fibres of Carbon TPT and Quartz TPT respectively), stacked with a 45° rotation between layers, are more visible in the composite, revealing a naturally wood-like grain that can be rendered in deep, rich tones. 

Displaying meticulous attention to detail and ergonomics, the pushers are made of microblasted titanium with polished bevels, Carbon TPT or Basalt TPT inserts and 5N gold guards. Their tactile feedback is uniform across all functions, meaning each pusher requires the same pressure to activate, thanks to precisely calibrated levers and the addition of a dedicated column wheel for the reset function. Normally experienced as very abrupt, this function now delivers the same refined tactile sensation. This innovative double-column-wheel flyback chronograph construction has been patented. 

Able to track every minute, every goal, and every stretch of extra time, the RM 41-01 Tourbillon Soccer offers a unique mechanical interpretation of this sport. Blending ingenuity, complexity, and practicality as only Richard Mille can do, the RM 41-01 Tourbillon Soccer continues to push the boundaries of what is technically achievable and what mechanical beauty can express. (Price on request)