Richard Mille is red-hot at the moment and to celebrate the brand has unveiled the equally red-hot RM 011 Red TPT Quartz.
The RM 011 Red TPT Quartz
Ok, so maybe the RM 011 Red TPT Quartz wasn’t created to celebrate the brand’s stellar performance however it does still serve as an excellent example of the inexplicable and yet undeniable Richard Mille craze currently sweeping the upper echelons of luxury watch lovers.
“This could be the ‘Patek’ of the future” someone told me the other day and they’re probably right.
It’s no secret that Richard Mille watches cost a lot of money (to buy at least), which is one of the reasons the brand remained relatively unknown to most until fairly recently. Thanks to some brash marketing however – like putting six-figure watches on the wrists of some of the world’s most famous athletes and telling them to go ‘play’ – Richard Mille has become the go to for Hollywood’s elite, wealthy playboys and oligarchs alike.
As a result the brand has ‘gained currency’ as they say, both in the metaphorical and literal sense. “This could be the ‘Patek’ of the future” someone told me the other day and they’re probably right. They weren’t referring to the level of complexity involved in the watch or the exquisite finishing (on a Richard Mille? I don’t think so). Instead what they were referring to was the ability of the brand’s watches to hold their value, thanks in part to their incredible popularity and their trailblazing nature.
It seems crazy to say but people feel comfortable dropping $100k on these watches in the grey market because they’re fairly confident they will be able to flip the watch again for the same or more money at a later date. But surely this can’t hold true for all Richard Mille timepieces, can it?
The new RM 011 Red TPT Quartz got me thinking about exactly that question. There’s no doubting the popularity of the RM 011 series but is there really a market for a bright red version? And more importantly is there a secondary market?
I mean, if wanted a bright red watch that looked like a toy I would buy a G-Shock but that’s just me.
Looking at the watch itself there’s no denying that it is a nice bit of technical kit. Presented in a case crafted from Richard Mille’s patented blend of NTPT carbon and TPT quartz – the same material used for the case of the RM 27-02 Rafael Nadal – the watch is both super strong and super light. The only difference in fact – and it’s a pretty noticeable one – is that for the RM 011 Red, the brand used red TPT quartz to create a rather intense red resin. I haven’t seen the watch personally but according to Richard Mille the case’s natural shine is further enhanced by the quartz fibers.
Now personally I have to say I find the case overpowering and in fact somewhat off-putting. Don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that every case is subtlety different in its own unique way as a result of the way the red TPT® quartz and black NTPT carbon combine and are machined each time but I just don’t know what I would wear the RM011 Red with, or even where for that matter. I mean, if wanted a bright red watch that looked like a toy I would just buy a G-Shock but that’s just me.
My personal feelings notwithstanding however Richard Mille is offering the RM 011 Red TPT® quartz edition in a limited run of just 50 pieces – all of which will sell I’m sure – however they will only available at Richard Mille boutiques. Like all RM 011 models, the watch is equipped with the automatic RMAC1 caliber which featuring an oversized date at 12 o’clock, a month display at 4 o’clock and a flyback chronograph with a countdown function.
So there you have it, not exactly my cup of tea but if you’re in the market for a bright red watch and you have the budget of a small country at your disposal the Richard Mille RM 011 Red TPT® quartz edition might just be what you’re looking for.
