The original RM 012 on which the new RM 12-01 tourbillon exclusive Americas boutique edition is based

Unveiled at The Bridge, Bridgehampton’s, one of New York’s top 11 ultra-exclusive golf courses, the new Richard Mille RM 12-01 Tourbillon exclusive Americas boutiques edition featured a new take on the watchmaker’s seminal 2006 RM 012, the world’s first tourbillon wristwatch with a baseplate and bridge architecture made not from brass but from steel and titanium tubes granting it exceptional resistance to thermal changes and corrosion. Fans of Richard Mille will recall that featuring such heretofore unseen calibre construction was not only groundbreaking but relative to the brand’s five year “history”, literally unheard of – the RM 012 tourbillion with its cage made of Anticorodal 100 (AlMgSi1), an alloy of aluminum, magnesium, and silicon, was so revolutionary it even took watchmaking’s top honor at the Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie de Genève. Today, the new Richard Mille RM 12-01 Tourbillon exclusive Americas boutiques edition, takes a leaf from the award winning RM 012 architecture and incorporates the unibody baseplate, but this time instead of the hyper skeletonised, transparent look, the baseplate draws upon visual codes of a subject matter close to Mr. Mille’s heart (and the reason for The Bridge exhibition) – postwar sports cars.

New Richard Mille RM 12-01 Tourbillon exclusive Americas boutiques edition

The latest RM 12-01 Tourbillon takes the classic complication and ensconces it within the brand’s signature tonneau case made from carbon TPT combinations

The RM 12-01 tourbillon is slated to be an exclusive Americas boutiques only edition, considered to be a distillation of the brand’s technical inventiveness and material know-how. The original RM 012 was a series of 30 platinum editions but the latest interpretation of the RM 12-01 Tourbillon will be available in a series of four different 18-piece limited editions available exclusively at Richard Mille boutiques in the Americas.

The new RM 12-01 Tourbillon revisits the GPHG award-winning tourbillon design, but also updates it with the recent engineering advances with the maison including case combinations with the exclusive Carbon TPT material.

The latest RM 12-01 Tourbillon takes the classic complication and ensconces it within the brand’s signature tonneau case made from combinations of  black full Carbon TPT, Carbon and red Quartz TPT, Carbon and white Quartz TPT, or Carbon and Gold TPT, 18 pieces each while the baseplate shows off skeletonised  grade-5 three-dimensional titanium bridges and in its entirety, capable of withstanding over 5,000 Gs.

The 70 hours running Richard Mille RM 12-01 Tourbillon exclusive to the Americas will come on a rubber strap with a titanium clasp and is expected to retail US$828,000.

Ed’s Note: Exclusivity to specific regions have never stopped Singapore watch collectors from getting their hands on Tudor Harrod’s or Tudor Bucherer editions, both were exclusive pieces beyond our shores.

Latest RM 12-01 Tourbillon price and specs

Movement Automatic RM 12-01 with 70 hours power reserve
Case 39.3mm Black Carbon TPT, red or white Quartz TPT, and gold and carbon TPT with 50 metres water resistance
Strap Rubber
Price US$828,000