Newtro, a coined word created by combining New and Retro, can be understood as enjoying retro anew. The past that the new generation has not experienced will surely feel new. But before the use of the word Neutro, it was common in watches. A mechanical watch experienced by the quartz watch generation who has never experienced a mechanical watch or a mechanical watch encountered by a younger smart watch generation is a true newtro. Of course, the specificity of the history of watches, from mechanical watches to quartz watches and back to mechanical watches, is also influenced by the specificity of the watch. It is very rare that the previous generation’s technology, which was on the verge of disappearing due to the clear performance difference, becomes mainstream again.
If the Newtro was limited to replica watches uk, it would be a pocket watch or a pocket watch. In fact, the history of wristwatches is not very long. About 100 years ago, men mostly used pocket watches to keep a watch in their pocket and then take it out to check the time. Afterwards, I felt the convenience of use and started to wear wristwatches, but due to the characteristics of men who are relatively conservative in fashion, there were not many periods of resistance to accepting wristwatches. Of course, now is the age of wristwatches that no one can deny. That’s why there aren’t many manufacturers who make pocket watches. Even if there is, there is a strong tendency to view it as something for a small number of collectors or enthusiasts.
The Richard Mille RM 020 Tourbillon Pocket Watch also fits the above characteristics from today’s point of view, but I’m curious as to how it would be interpreted. With a width of 52.0mm and a length of 62.0mm, the RM 020, which is about half the size of a mobile phone, has a rectangular case. It’s not that big based on the pocket watch era, but it’s a size that I want to be quite large by today’s standards when people are used to wrist watches. The rectangular case was introduced as the RM 16-01 announced at SIHH 2019 and the RM 016 corresponding to the base model, but the number is relatively small compared to the Tono case. Therefore, it may be a little unfamiliar, but if you look at the side of the case, a familiar design is revealed. The thickest central part is 15.6mm, and the thickness gradually decreases toward the end. It is a streamlined and attractive silhouette that resembles a torpedo when fastened with a speed boat or a key (a part that acts as a crown). It’s built according to a configuration like any other Richard Mille case. It consists of an upper plate corresponding to the bezel, a middle case and a case back, and the side of the middle case is convex to allow a screw to enter, giving a visual stimulus. This is also a familiar detail.
The upper plate and case back of the case are white gold, but the middle case is made of grade 5 titanium, so the visual weight of the size is significantly reduced. Even if you put it in your pocket, it is not too much of a problem, and even if you fasten a chain that shows the level of processing that an operator would have suffered quite a bit, the weight is not too burdensome. Watchmakers communicate new ideas through commercialization. This is a part that can be read even on a pocket watch, which is rare these days, and the attempt to overcome the limitation of usage is noticeable. Bovet’s Amadeo Convertible System brings new ideas to the case structure, allowing the pocket watch to be used in three ways: as a wristwatch or as a table watch. As the RM 020 approached it as a pocket watch, the wristwatch was excluded. Instead, it can also be used as a table clock and simply snaps onto the stand that comes with the watch. It’s like an iPhone docking stand. However, it is equipped with a safety device that can be removed only by pressing the two buttons on the side of the stand at the same time when removing it. To use it as a table watch, you need to insert a crown that acts as a key to operate it. To use it as a pocket watch, you can remove it from the stand and insert the chain instead of the key. The connection between the case and the chain serves as a key and also plays an important role of tightening the case to prevent it from falling off. However, when actually fastening and disassembling, it is possible to connect and disengage so easily that it seems that user convenience is considered as the top priority.
It seems that Richard Mille decided to go back in time with RM 020 and brought Key back to life. Keys were always a part of pocket watches before crowns became popular. Without it, it was impossible to wind up or adjust the time. When the crown integrated into the case appeared, the key role disappeared and naturally disappeared. The RM 020 allows the chain and case connection mentioned above to serve as a key, and a separate key is required for use as a table clock. It seems that they are concerned about the inconvenience of carrying the key separately and losing it. Keys finish the surface with a variety of finishing techniques. In the image above, processing methods such as ‘Sapphire blasted’ and ‘Circular brushed’ are shown. Even small parts that are the connecting parts (keys) of the chain can be seen that complicated machining and processing have been performed. Expanding from the finish of this, looking at the case, most of the surface is occupied by a satin finish with reduced gloss. It has been polished with a glossy finish around the corners, and this pattern is no different from any other Richard Mille wristwatch.
The heart of the RM 020 is the caliber RM 020. A tourbillon with a manual 10-day power reserve, equipped with a power reserve indicator and a function indicator. It reincarnates in a wristwatch like the RM 58-01 Tourbillon Worldtimer Jean Todd. It is a variation that adds the world time function to the tourbillon of the 10-day power reserve. Caliber RM 020 is a square movement, measuring 42.2 mm in width and length, which is not small. This shows the beauty of bridges and rebar structures by cutting out carbon nanofiber plates formed by high temperature and high pressure to place parts and fixing them with multiple ‘V’-shaped bridges. The V-shaped bridge, which determines the overall image of the movement, points towards the bend and draws a gentle rising angle. Due to its height, the sapphire crystal plate with the minute index and indicator print inserted between the glass and carbon nanofiber plates had to be cut, which doubles the three-dimensional effect. The dial features two symmetrical barrels at 3 and 9 o’clock and a tourbillon cage at 6 o’clock. A function indicator is placed at the 4 o’clock position, and a power reserve indicator is placed across the 9 o’clock and 10 o’clock positions.
The caliber RM 020 seen through the see-through bag is quite different from the feel of the dial. It is largely divided into a main plate, a bridge in the center, and a symmetrical barrel. The whole is black and white, and the surface is sandblasted to give off a subtle and luxurious luster. If the dial feels like a structure, this one looks like a European garden seen from above. Of course, you need to add a lively color to match it. The bridge in the central part is made of a copper, nickel, and zinc alloy called ARCAP, which does not contain iron, so it is a material with magnetic and physical and chemical resistance. Urberg EMC used the same material. The bridge including the main plate has a three-dimensional shape to reveal the aesthetics, and the parts that support the shaft fixing the tourbillon cage and the end stone made of zirconium are like flowers or the magazine of a revolver pistol. Up close, a very high level of finishing technique was used, and the six screws were also carefully finished. The barrel part also has details like a blooming flower, and unlike the dial, this jewel is inserted into the chaton and fixed with three screws. Nowadays, we have chosen a jewelry fixing method that recognizes German details such as Lange and Sohne. The dial reveals the beauty of the structure, and the case back reveals the beauty of shape, which is perhaps the biggest attraction of the caliber RM 020.
You can operate it by inserting the key into the body. When the crown is pulled, the function indicator shows the current crown position. N is a neutral position where no operation is input, W is winding, and H is time adjustment. Thanks to the large diameter of the keys, you can wind smoothly and quickly without any resistance. The accumulation of power can be checked by the power reserve indicator at 9 o’clock, and a torque limit crown is adopted to prevent overwinding. In a manual movement, when full winding is generally made, the mainspring is caught in the groove on the side of the barrel, and at the same time, the feeling of being caught by the user is transmitted to the crown to stop the winding. Occasionally, a user unfamiliar with this may damage the mainspring while winding forcibly, and the mechanism to prevent this is the torque limit crown. Rather than giving the user a signal of full winding, the crown intervenes directly to block overwinding. Because the diameter of the key is large and there is play in the fastened state, it is difficult to operate delicately compared to a crown with a small diameter. It can be a little difficult to estimate the crown position until you get your hands on it, but it’s not a big deal because you can check it with the function indicator.
The chain resembles the tail of a scorpion when connected to the case. The buckle of the chain is made for simple fastening and does not come off easily. The buckle takes on the silhouette of a Tono case.
Reference numbers for Richard Mille start at RM 001 and increase in number. For variations like the RM 16-01, -1 and -2 are added to the RM 016 of the base model, and so on. If you look at the reference, the RM 020 corresponds to a model released relatively early. Thanks to this, some of the details you can see through the case back are also common with the RM 001. The current lineup, which is a situation in which the product volume is expanding while growing as a brand, is a mixture of works and products, but when the RM 020 was released, the tendency to taste the essence of mechanical watches was stronger, and this is clearly confirmed in reality. The RM 020 is also a small number of examples of how Richard Mille interpreted the wristwatch and other formats called pocket watches. Some examples of how to use wristwatches are different, such as the manufacturing approach before the miniaturization of wristwatches was implemented. The former was confirmed to be a two-way use that can be used as a pocket watch and two table clocks, and the latter drew a unique view of the world even in the pocket watch format by utilizing the spacious movement area suitable for the large case of the pocket watch. It is confirmed by the revival of impressions and stature. If it’s a little light, it can be said that it is a model to be noticed once again in that it is a Newtro introduced by a unique high-end maker called Richard Mille. do.