Richard Mille's new RM 60-01 Automatic Flyback Chronograph St. Barths contributes to regional revitalization　

Richard Mille has announced the new RM 60-01 Automatic Flyback Chronograph St. Barts, limited to 80 pieces. Following the cancellation of the St. Barts International Yacht Race, which the company continues to support, the brand has announced that it will donate all profits from the sale of this model to local reconstruction efforts in St. Barts.

Richard Mille and international yacht racing

　Richard Mille is a sponsor of the St. Barts International Yacht Race, an annual yacht race held on the small French Caribbean island of St. Barts, and has been present since its inception in 2011. In the 10 years since its inception, the race has attracted an average of 80 teams competing in seven categories, and has now become one of the Caribbean's major events, attracting tens of thousands of participants and over 500 yachts from around the world.

　To give a new direction to this rapidly growing international racing event, the company became the title sponsor and renamed the Richard Mille St. Barth Yacht Race in 19. Tim Marashard, Marketing Director, said:

"We have supported this race since its inception and are thrilled to see it now become so widely known as an international regatta. The quality of the yachts and crews continues to improve every year, and it is now recognized as the race to win in the Caribbean."

Limited edition model presented to the winner

　Richard Mille has produced several limited edition models to commemorate the race, and has presented one of these watches to the winning team each time. In 2010, the brand released the RM 028 St. Barth Yacht Race, a diver's watch with a water resistance of 300m, to commemorate the start of the race.

　The RM 60-01 Regatta, released in different colors in 15 and 17, was developed for racing yacht crews and served as the basis for this latest model. It was the first to feature a special rotating bezel that allowed the wearer to determine direction without calculations, regardless of whether they were in the northern or southern hemisphere.

The 2021 race was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic

　The St. Barts International Yacht Race, which has been held continuously since 2010, was canceled this year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on St. Barts. This was due to regulations such as mandatory quarantine upon entry and a ban on non-essential travel between islands.

　With the race canceled in 2021, the new limited edition RM 60-01 Automatic Flyback Chronograph St. Barts will support the race in a different way: Richard Mille has deemed it its duty to donate all profits from the sale of this watch to the local reconstruction efforts in St. Barts.

　No specific recipients have been decided at this time, but discussions are underway with local authorities to determine how the donations will be used for medical and health facilities and environmental projects on the island.

The latest model of the RM 60-01, featuring striking turquoise blue

　The newly announced RM 60-01 Automatic Flyback Chronograph St. Barts is a new color scheme for the existing RM60-01. The beautiful turquoise blue symbolizing the regatta is used on the inner bezel that frames the dial, the counters on the rotating bezel, and the sides of the push buttons.

Complex case structure

　The large 50mm case is packed with features thoughtfully designed for yachting crews. The complex case is made of a combination of Richard Mille's proprietary material, Carbon TPT® and grade 5 titanium, and has a four-part structure, making it water resistant to 100m.

　The creation of this case requires many steps: more than an hour and a half of turning, followed by several hours of milling with over 800 parts, and then around 11 hours of multiple machining operations. Each case then undergoes a full day of quality inspection.

　In addition, it takes approximately 10 days to carve out the crown, pushers, screws, washers, and other parts other than the case itself, and after multiple waterproofing and quality inspections, the case is finally finished by hand. The case is assembled using 46 grade 5 titanium screws and 316L stainless steel washers, which are highly wear-resistant.

　One of the unique features is the "locking crown." This prevents the chronograph from malfunctioning due to incorrect operation. By simply rotating the movable part at the base of the crown, it is possible to simultaneously lock both the pushers at the 2 o'clock and 4 o'clock positions. When locked, a green arrow is displayed, and when unlocked, a red arrow is displayed at the 3 o'clock position, making it easy to distinguish visually.

Rotating bezel with compass function

　An important function of the RM 60-01 is its ability to provide yacht crews with compass directions. The bidirectional rotating bezel, which displays north, south, east, and west, is equipped with a disc marked with 360° and 24-hour scales. Compass directions are determined based on two pieces of information: the local time and the position of the sun.

　With one push of the UTC button, the UTC hand advances by one hour, and when you point it at the sun, rotate the bezel to align the UTC hand with the local time, and you can determine your direction. There are few mechanical watches that can tell you the direction in either the northern or southern hemisphere without any extra calculations.

A complex movement at the heart of its functions

　The RM 60-01 is equipped with the Caliber RMAC2, an automatic movement with a flyback chronograph. To reduce weight and increase robustness, the main plate and bridges are made of grade 5 titanium, with the surfaces coated with black PVD.

　The screws that fasten the parts are also made of titanium and use a unique spline screw design, which allows for proper control of the tightening torque during assembly, can withstand repeated overhauls, and prevents the deterioration of the screw heads that is common with flathead screws.

　The movement can be seen through the ergonomically curved transparent case back, which is sapphire crystal printed with the Richard Mille St. Barth Yacht Race logo.