Richard Mille RM 030 Automatic with Declutchable Rotor

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The Richard Mille RM 030 automatic watch is equipped with the manufacture’s latest caliber RMAR1, a new generation movement itself represents a further advancement in the world of automatic wristwatch design.

The winding of an automatic wristwatch is accomplished by a small turning rotor, silently driven as a result of the physical movements of the wearer. These rotations of the rotor provide energy to the winding barrel, which reaches its optimal point once it is fully wound. After this point, overwinding can easily occur and needs to be avoided. This is traditionally achieved through the use of a sliding flange that allows the spring to slip, thus avoiding the movement becoming overwound. However, this traditional system allows the build-up of harmful debris inside the winding barrel as the flange releases the excess energy of overwinding during longer periods, especially when a person is particularly active. This in turn can severely affect chronometric results.

To avoid such adverse conditions, Richard Mille took four years to develop the concept and the design of a rotor that declutches automatically. With this system, the winding barrel is automatically disconnected from the rotor’s winding mechanism at the moment when the spring is fully wound. Additionally, this new mechanism is linked to the power reserve indicator to provide an optimal winding control. This allows both the movement and the oscillator to work with the best ratio of constant torque/power to provide the best chronometric performance.

The declutchable rotor works as follow: when the power reserve reaches 50 hours, the rotor is declutched automatically thanks to a specially developed gear system. As a result, the rotor is disengaged from winding the barrel. Conversely, when the power reserve decreases to 40 hours, the rotor is automatically clutched and the watch starts the winding phase until the indicator reaches 50 hours. It is possible to check theses phases thanks to the rewinding indicator located at 12 o’clock. It keeps the user informed whether the rotor is operating in winding phase (on) or is disengaged (off). Typical of Richard Mille, the declutchable rotor is a major innovation with its conception and miniaturization which represents an extraordinary technical challenge.
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The case of RM 030 (50mm x 42.70mm x 13.95 mm) encloses a rotor with variable geometry that allows the rewinding speed of the mainspring to be adapted most effectively to the user’s activity level within sports or leisure environments, ceramic ball bearings, a double barrel system for ideal torque stability and a bottom plate, bridges and balance cock of grade 5 titanium with Titalyt® treatment. This provides the whole assembly great rigidity, as well as precise surface flatness, which is essential for the perfect functioning of the gear train.

The baseplate and all titanium parts have been subjected to separate and extensive validation tests to insure optimal strength requirement. The caliber RMAR1, with 40 jewels and beating at 4Hz, has a free sprung balance with variable inertia. This type of balance wheel represents the ultimate in innovation. It guarantees greater reliability when subjected to shock and also during movement assembly and disassembly, hence better chronometric results over time. The regulator index is eliminated and a more accurate and repeatable adjustment is possible thanks to 4 small adjustable weights located directly on the balance.

The case of the RM 030 requires 86 swaging operations including 49 striking, before cutting and milling phases for the three main components (bezel, middle case, back). Machining requires 20 hours for the settings and it takes 30 hours for a kit programming.

The empty case requires more than 255 tooling operations and more than 5 hours of glazing and polishing for the final phase. The complex shape of the case is obtained thanks to a complex 5 axis machine. For each case, the name “Richard Mille” engraved on the back of the case situated on the inside curve requires 45 minutes. The tripartite case is water resistant to 50 meters, ensured by two Nitril O-ring seals. The case is assembled with 20 spline screws in grade 5 titanium and abrasion resistant washers in 316L stainless steel.

Technical details
Model : Richard Mille RM 030 Automatic With Declutchable Rotor
Tonneau case – available in titanium, 18k white gold or red gold.

Movement
– CALIBER RMAR1: skeletonized automatic movement with hours, minutes, central second, date, power reserve, winding indicator and adjustable rotor geometry.
– Dimensions of movement: 30.25 mm x 28.45 mm
– Thickness: 5.59 mm
– Number of jewels: 40
– Barrel arbor – in 20AP steel
– Balance: Glucydur, 4 arms, inertia moment 4.8 mg cm2, angle of lift 53º
– Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
– Balance spring: Elinvar
– Shock protection: Incabloc 908.22.211.100 (transparent)
– Escapement wheel jewels: Rubifix (transparent)
– Stem with three positions: manual winding, time setting, date adjustment
– Power reserve: Circa 55 hours.The power reserve indicator is located at 9 o’clock.

Special features of CALIBER RMAR1
– Decluchable Rotor: The winding of an automatic wristwatch is accomplished by a small turning rotor, silently driven as a result of the physical movements of the wearer. These rotations of the rotor provide energy to the winding barrel, which reaches its optimal point once it is fully wound. After this point, overwinding can easily occur and needs to be avoided. This is traditionally achieved through the use of a sliding flange that allows the spring to slip, thus avoiding the movement becoming overwound.

However, this traditional system allows the build-up of harmful debris inside the winding barrel as the flange releases the excess energy of overwinding during longer periods, especially when a person is particularly active. This in turn can severely affect chronometric results. To avoid such adverse conditions, Richard Mille took 4 years to develop the concept and design of a rotor that declutches automatically. With this system, the winding barrel is automatically disconnected from the rotor’s winding mechanism at the moment when the spring is fully wound. Additionally, this new mechanism is linked to the power reserve indicator to provide an optimal winding control. This allows both the movement and the oscillator to work with the best ratio of constant torque/power to provide the best chronometric performance.

Functioning: When the power reserve reaches 50 hours, the rotor is declutched automatically thanks to a specially developed gear system. As a result, the rotor is disengaged from winding the barrel. Conversely, when the power reserve decreases to 40 hours, the rotor is automatically clutched and the watch starts the winding phase until the indicator reaches 50 hours. It is possible to check theses phases thanks to the rewinding indicator located at 12 o’clock. It keeps the user informed whether the rotor is operating in winding phase (on) or is disengaged (off).

Date display: Semi-instantaneous, placed in a vertical aperture at 7 o’clock. The calendar disc of sapphire crystal is treated with non-reflective coating on both sides.

Free sprung balance with variable inertia: This type of balance wheel represents the ultimate in innovation. It guarantees greater reliability when subjected to shock and also during movement assembly and disassembly, hence better chronometric results over time. The regulator index is eliminated and a more accurate and repeatable adjustment is possible thanks to 4 small adjustable weights located directly on the balance.

Torque limiting crown in titanium: This security system prevents accidental overwinding of the watch, the result of which can cause damage to the winding stem or extreme pressure on the barrel spring.

Rotor with variable geometry
– Arm in grade 2 titanium
– Flange in grade 2 titanium
– 6-positional adjustment via grade 5 titanium screws
– Ribs in 18k white gold, high palladium content
– Weight segment in white gold
– Ceramic ball bearing
– 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 within sports or leisure environments. By adjusting the six positional setting of the rib’s placement, the rotor’s inertia is modified, either speeding up the winding process in the case of minimal arm and hand movements, or slowing it down when high activity sports are pursued. As a result, this invention allows the movement’s winding mechanism to be optimized and personalized to the owner’s lifestyle.

Double barrel system: The double barrel system helps improve torque stability over a longer period. This is achieved by utilizing more turns of the barrel, thereby reducing pressure and wear on the teeth, bearings and pivots, resulting in improved long-term performance.

Bottom plate, bridges and balance cock made of titanium: These components are in grade 5 titanium with Titalyt® treatment. This provides the whole assembly great rigidity, as well as precise surface flatness, which is essential for the perfect functioning of the gear train. The skeletonized baseplate was subjected to separate and extensive validation tests to insure optimal strength requirements.

Spline screws in grade 5 titanium for the bridges: This permits better control of the torque applied to the screws during assembly. These screws are therefore unaffected by physical manipulation during assembly or disassembly and age well.

CASE
The design and execution of the watch demonstrates a complete conceptual approach to the movement, case and dial. As a result, everything has been constructed according to an extremely rigorous specification, in the manner of the analytical engineering methods used in the design of Formula 1 racing cars where the chassis and the engine are developed in complete harmony.

For example, a casing ring is no longer used and the movement is mounted on chassis mounting rubbers (ISO SW) fixed by 4 titanium screws. Features such as these are evidence of uncompromising workmanship. The case of the RM 030 requires 86 swaging operations including 49 striking, before cutting and milling phases for the three main components (bezel, middle case, back). Machining requires 20 hours for the settings and it takes 30 hours for a kit programming.

The empty case requires more than 255 tooling operations and more than 5 hours of glazing and polishing for the final phase. The complex shape of the case is obtained thanks to a 5 axis machine. For each case, the name “Richard Mille” engraved on the back of the case situated on the inside curve requires 45 hours. The tripartite case is water resistant to 50 meters, ensured by two Nitril O-ring seals. The case is assembled with 20 spline screws in grade 5 titanium and abrasion resistant washers in 316L stainless steel. Spline screws in grade 5 titanium permits better control of the torque applied to the screws during assembly. These screws are therefore unaffected by physical manipulation during assembly or disassembly and age well.

Interior flanges(upper and lower): In carbon fiber, with index points filled with approved luminous material. Minute flange in black carbon fiber.

Dial
In sapphire (thickness: 0.40 mm) with anti-glare treatment (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 (both sides)
Thickness: 1.50 mm
Case back: In sapphire with anti-glare treatment (both sides)
Thickness: at the center 1.20 mm and outer edges 2.04 mm

Finishing
Movement
– Bottom plate and bridges in hand-ground grade 5 titanium, wet sandblasted, Titalyt® treated
– Barrel Bridges PVD coated
– Burnished pivots
– 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 slots and screws beveled and polished with rounded and polished tip