Richard Mille RM 59-01 ‘Yohan Blake’ Tourbillon

As has become the norm, ultra-exclusive watchmaker Richard Mille again goes over-the-top with his 2013 pieces.  The words “innovate” and “push the boundaries” mean far more to this man than any other watchmaker I know.  Starting here with the wild RM 59-01 ‘Yohan Blake’ edition. You all know Yohan Blake, right?  He is the young Jamaican sprinter, known as “The Beast”.  He currently runs second behind fellow countryman and super star Usain Bolt, but rarely anyone else.  Blake signed with Mille at the time of the 2013 Olympics and soon found himself at the center of a sponsorship controversy as he was quietly wearing a not-so-quiet (bright yellow and green) Richard Mille on his wrist during Olympic competition.  But in the end all ended well for young Yohan, and now he has a new piece to his name, the RM 59-01 tourbillon.  A limited edition of 50 pieces, of which one will sell for a cool $620,000.  This watch does not fail to catch the eye, and of course it will run like the wind. Lots of high-res, and det’s, on the jump.

As with all Richard Mille athlete-ambassador pieces, this watch is custom-designed for the sport in mind — sprinting.   Let’s hit the high points.

Ultra-light, ultra-strong Composite case with Carbon Nanotubes

Its case is made of translucent composite, injected with carbon nanotubes.  It is ultra-light and ultra-strong.  And as with all RM pieces, this piece is filled with all kinds of high-tech materials and technology.  Dimensions of case are 50.24mm x 42.7mm x 15.84 mm, typical for Mille. But what is not typical is the asymmetry. Yes, the case is asymmetrical, mean to accommodate Blake’s sprinting via better aerodynamics.  Did Mille put Blake in a wind tunnel or what?  Or is it more likely that the real reason for the “aerodynamic” asymmetrical case is to accommodate the unusual bridge design?!

Here is a closeup of the composite embedded with carbon nanotubules:

“The Beast” bridges

Also immediately recognizable on this piece are the bridges — do they remind you of  the claws of “The Beast” (Blake’s nickname)?  These high-tech, high-design bridges are machined from an alloy of aluminum, magnesium, silicon and lead, and they support the tourbillon cage and are generally integral to the entire piece.

Caseback

This is a limited edition of 50 pieces.  Now of course Usain Bolt is a Hublot Ambassador, and sorry to say that when it comes to watches, he did just get passed by Yohan Blake!!!!