STYLE Edit: Richard Mille dials in a smile with the newest RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smiley – the Swiss luxury watchmaker’s latest horological masterpiece evokes joy and playfulness

Oct 28 , 2022

Richard Mille’s RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smiley has two baseplates: one for the watch’s movement and the other for the distinctive artwork. Photos: Fabien Nissels/Richard Mille

The universal yellow symbol of friendliness is the centre of Swiss luxury watchmaker Richard Mille’s latest limited-edition horological masterpiece, with only 50 pieces produced

The new RM 88 Smiley combines Olivier Kuhn’s gold micro-sculptures and in-house CRMT7 automatic tourbillon, while its bridges and baseplates are made of grade 5 titanium

One thing Richard Mille’s timepieces definitely do: they make people smile. Not only do the Swiss luxury watchmaker’s creations generate joy in their combination of razor sharp aesthetics with cutting-edge technical mastery, but also through their frequently whimsical, offbeat and charmingly inventive approach to the business of luxury horology. Now that tendency has found its ultimate articulation within Richard Mille’s range of coveted pieces, in the form of the new RM 88 Smiley.

Cloud with a silver lining: more weather-themed detailing is added to Richard Mille’s RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smiley.

There is no better known depiction of a grin in the world than the classic yellow smiley that first appeared in the pages of a French newspaper half a century ago, and has since become a universal symbol of friendliness and positivity. Now that unforgettable smile appears on the dial of the RM 88 Smiley, which it shares with an eclectic assemblage of other cheerful cartoon images.

The whimsical gold micro-sculptures that fill the RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smiley’s dial are the work of engraver Olivier Kuhn.

The work of engraver Olivier Kuhn, they take the form of gold micro-sculptures, with the smiley taking pride of place at the top of the dial – picked out in micro-blasted and painted yellow gold – alongside a flower, the rays of the sun, a pineapple, a cactus, a pink flamingo and a rainbow. The RM 88 Smiley’s small seconds hand takes a trip through sunny and rainy weather each minute, passing beneath two clouds, one attached to the tourbillon and the other adorning the dial in micro-blasted and satin-finished white gold, before passing over the rainbow.

With the individual pieces that decorate the dial weighing in at less than a gram each, arranging them requires a feat of technical mastery. It is achieved with the novel solution of using two baseplates, one taking on the traditional role of supporting the movement while the other holds the ornaments on the dial in place, on an inclined plane that makes them pop in three dimensions.

Powering all of this is the new in-house CRMT7, a skeletonised automatic tourbillon movement with hour, minute and function displays. The bridges and baseplate are made of grade 5 titanium, while the bridge of the tourbillon features a double PVD coating in black and gold.

The reverse of the RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smiley, showing the new in-house CRMT7 skeletonised automatic tourbillon movement.

While the smile as an artistic symbol has reoccurred throughout history in numerous cultures, it was first seen in its iconic modern form in 1972, accompanying a regular column featuring positive news, compiled by French journalist Franklin Loufrani.