This weekend we witnessed another great Formula One race at the legendary British Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit. As we informed you here back in May, Richard Mille has entered a two-year agreement with Team Lotus to become the official timing partner for this constructor. The Richard Mille RM032 Chronograph Diver in red gold is the perfect companion for a Formula One racing weekend and a perfect match to that black Lotus team umbrella, in case the weather forecast calls for a rainy weekend, just like this one.
This amazing watch is not only a Diver's watch but a complex piece of 'haute horlogerie'. The RM032 is a fly-back chronograph featuring an annual calendar at the same time. The watch is fitted with a month indicator between the 4 and 5 o'clock markers, a big date indicator at noon above the central pinion, and an 'Indicateur De Marche' —disc indicator that replaces a running seconds indicator that creates a moiré pulsating pattern to show that the watch is running— at 3 o'clock.
The RM032 in red gold is a very robust watch with a massive three-piece case measuring 50 mm wide, 17.80 mm thick, and weighing 284 grams. The case is perfectly brushed and the watch is fitted with a very comfortable rubber strap with a tang buckle also in red gold.
Just like on the RM028 Diver that we also featured here, the bezel is a complete work of art. The rotating bezel is formed by three layers that are connected with 22 eight-point-star-shaped screws which means that the bezel cannot be dislocated by impact. It is sturdy and very functional with black and red Arabic numerals that contrast very nicely with the rose gold and the open-worked dial. One of the unique features of this bezel is its double-push button security mechanism that allows the user to rotate the bezel only if both the 30-minute and red arrow raised buttons are pressed simultaneously while rotating the bezel in a counterclockwise direction.
Something quite different between the RM032 and the other Richard Mille Divers is the new lock-down crown guard locking mechanism that comes on this watch. This new locking mechanism protects the crown and pushers from accidental operation —while underwater— ensuring perfect water resistance to a depth of 300m/1000ft. To unscrew the crown, you need to rotate the black locking ring that has a green and red arrow on it —green indicates unlocked and red locked.
Just like on all other Richard Mille fly-back chronographs, the chrono pushers are very solid, easy to operate, and nicely marked with the usual red Start/Stop and Reset/Fly-back markings. The red markings are a nice touch that only a brand like Richard Mille could've thought of incorporating into the design.
The RM032 is fitted with a display case back and an open-worked dial that allows for a full view of the Richard Mille calibre RMAC32. The RMAC32 is a fly-back chronograph with centrally mounted hands for the minutes and seconds and hours-register at 6 o'clock. The month is indicated between the 4 and 5 o'clock markers and the date indicator is located above the central pinion towards the 12 o'clock marker.
As you can see, the Richard Mille RM032 in red gold is pure perfection. The attention to detail on this complication is top notch and the functionality of it is unparalleled. If you are ready to go to that next Grand Prix wearing a conversation piece, then this is definitely your next watch.
Sticker Price $185,000USD. For more info click here.
