STYLE Edit: Former Ferrari F1 manager and motorsports legend Jean Todt honoured by Richard Mille’s limited edition watch
A special gear train means with the limited edition RM 58-01’s world timer all you need to do is position the name of the city you are in at 12 o’clock to automatically set the local time – and the time in 23 other world cities
Made for men on the move, this world timer presents one of the most complicated mechanisms in the simplest form. Richard Mille wanted to create a device with a time zone innovation that would be easy to use, so the new RM 58-01 is equipped with a special gear train that helps the user set the time by simply rotating the bezel anticlockwise.
Dedicated to Jean Todt, a motorsports legend and the president of the Federation International de l’ Automobile, the new Tourbillon RM 58-01 World Timer Jean Todt Limited Edition epitomises impeccable engineering and high precision. The RM 58-01 does not need any adjusting push-piece to change from one time zone to another. All you need to do is position the name of the city where you have landed at 12 o’clock, which automatically sets local time and the time in the other 23 world cities thanks to the 24-hour scale engraved on the flange. The black and white disc distinguishes day from night automatically.
While the operating mechanism might sound straightforward, it took lots of work by Richard Mille’s movement and case engineers to link the unidirectional bezel and movement with a special gear train for perfect interaction. The complex dial shows hours, minutes and a 10-day power reserve on an indicator at two o’clock.
The calibre RM58-01, 34mm in diameter, is supported on a baseplate of grade five titanium, a material also used for the bridges. The tourbillon, positioned at nine o’clock and oscillating at a frequency of three hertz, is accommodated in a four-part case made from titanium and red gold. The torque limiting crown is fitted with a safety mechanism which prevents the movement from accidental overwinding.
The case middle is made from grade five titanium with a vertical satin-brushing, while the rotating bezel is in shot-blasted and polished titanium. The crown-protector is made from satin-brushed grade five titanium, which is combined with 5N 18K shot-blasted red gold. The shot-blasted, satin-brushed and polished rotating bezel bears the names of 24 world cities, symbols of the international 24 time zones on its brown upper flange.
The profits from the sale of this exceptional watch will be donated to two key initiatives close to Todt’s heart – the Global Road Safety Campaign and the Brain and Spine Institute (ICM), which he co-founded.
Limited to 35 pieces, the RM 58-01 is not the first or the last watch dedicated to Todt. Richard Mille has been working closely with Todt for many years and has designed several exceptional watches inspired by the man’s achievements in the car industry. A former rally driver, Todt was the director of Peugeot Talbot Sport in 1982 and Ferrari’s chief in its halcyon years. He has travelled to over 130 countries and now he can have the RM 58-01 seamlessly keeping time through all the thrill and adventure across the globe.
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