Inspired by the iconic smiley face logo drawn by Franklin Loufrani 50 years ago, Richard Mille has unveiled a colourful creation with attention to detail, the RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smiley. The playful timepiece is housed in a 48.15 x 39.74 x 13.30 mm case, the caseband is made of 18K 5N red gold, while the bezel and caseback are in ATZ white ceramic, known for its high scratch resistance (1,400 Vickers), fixed by titanium screws.
The striking Smiley figure in yellow gold is accompanied by an array of colourful, micro-sculptures created by the engraver Olivier Kuhn including: a blossoming flower, the warm rays of the sun, a delicious pineapple, a blooming cactus, a pink flamingo and a brightly-coloured rainbow. A festive cocktail to be savoured drop by drop, as the drinking glass in this neon pop scene suggests.
Inside is the new in-house automatic tourbillon calibre CRMT7, a skeletonized automatic tourbillon movement with hour, minute and function displays, beating at 28,800 vph (4 Hz) with 50 hours (± 10%) of power reserve; took three years to develop. The RM 88 is equiped with two baseplates: one technical, to support the movement, and the other auxiliary, to secure the ornamentation on the left-hand side of the dial.
The RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smiley is limited to just 50 units.
No official word on price yet (rumored to be priced at CHF 1,100,000 excluding local sales taxes), fore more info or price request visit Richard Mille’s website.
