RICHARD MILLE RM 64-01 IS AN ODE TO HIS APPRECIATION FOR CYCLING

The Richard Mille RM 64-01 Tourbillon Colnago combines haute horlogerie with the precision of Italian bicycle engineering ...oh and it costs a million dollars!

Richard Mille has always shared a special bond with the world of cycling, an affinity fuelled as much by admiration for its athletes as by fascination with a mechanical universe in which each component and every single gramme can determine performance.

Over the years, this closeness to the peloton has deepened. Richard Mille has drawn icons of the sport into its orbit, including Mark Cavendish, Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates. Collaborating with Colnago, the legendary Italian bicycle manufacturer, felt like a natural next step.

The RM 64-01 Tourbillon Colnago faithfully yet subtly translates the Italian manufacturer’s design codes into a watch whose tubular architecture channels the spirit of the iconic RM 012 Tourbillon. Inspired by the Cambiago bike builder’s cycle frames, the RM64-01 calibre was conceived around three guiding principles: lightness, transparency and volume. Its minimalist, resolutely graphic construction lays bare each of the 274 components with such clarity that the eye could almost be tracing the frame of a racing bike.

The skeletonised grade 5 titanium baseplate and bridges are microblasted, their edges brought to life by hand-polished bevels before a black and grey PVD treatment completes the finish. Within this structure sits the gear train, fitted with a fast-rotating barrel delivering a 65-hour power reserve. Positioned at 1 o’clock, the barrel sits in direct symmetry with the variable-inertia tourbillon at 7 o’clock – a layout that instantly recalls a bicycle drivetrain. This impression is reinforced by the titanium upper bridges which, with their star-shaped design, echo the iconic geometry of the Colnago ‘Master’ frames that were developed in the 1980s to boost torsional rigidity without adding weight.

Lacquered white and then hand-painted in azure blue and 5N red gold, these bridges are united visually by microblasted titanium hub caps featuring a blue lacquer finish. Conjuring Colnago frames with such realism on such a small scale demands an extraordinary level of machining and decoration. The colour palette draws directly on the Colnago ‘C68’, from which it borrows its main hues.

The case design is a natural extension of this technical mastery, refined architecture and exacting finish. For the first time on a Richard Mille sports watch, 5N red gold plays a part in the timepiece’s visual identity. In cycling, as in Richard Mille’s vision of sports watches, lightness is non-negotiable. The 43.21 x 49.94 x 14.23 mm case is accordingly crafted from new Azure Blue and White Quartz TPT®, a material prized for its exceptional mechanical properties.

The tripartite case is water-resistant to 50 metres, ensured by two Nitrile O-ring seals. The case is assembled with 20 spline screws in grade 5 titanium and abrasion-resistant washers in 316L stainless steel.

The 5N red gold flange completes this colour scheme. The same precious alloy graces the crown cap, which is crafted from Quartz TPT®, then microblasted, satin-finished, polished and adorned with a lacquered Ace of Clubs in a nod to Colnago’s iconic emblem. The golden accents extend to the hands, which have been specially designed for this creation to echo the cranks of a bicycle bracket.

Limited to just 50 pieces worldwide and priced at 800,000 Swiss francs / $989,552 or £747,168 (at today's conversion rates)