Richard Mille RM 60-01 Les Voiles de St. Barth 2018 Automatic Flyback Chronograph Regatta watch.
Richard Mille says it like it is. He may give numbers to his watches, but their names are always pretty clear cut. Such is the case with the magnificent bright yellow RM 60-01 Les Voiles de St. Barth 2018 Limited Edition Automatic Flyback Chronograph Regatta watch. Unveiled earlier today to honor the ninth annual Les Voiles de St. Barth Richard Mille sailing event in the Caribbean (for which Richard Mille is the title sponsor), the watch is easily the most expensive regatta watch unveiled by the brand yet — coming in at $161,000.
Interestingly enough the RM 60-01 Les Voiles de St. Barth 2018 Limited Edition Automatic Flyback Chronograph Regatta offers a wealth of functions — but not the actual regatta countdown function of the minutes just before the race. Maybe that’s because Richard Mille knows that sailors using this watch don’t need the countdown, they need the other functions that can guide them on their seafaring adventures during non-race times. Those include a need to calculate navigational information and find location.
Les Voiles de St. Barth Richard Mille sailing event is now in its ninth year. Photo by Michael Gramm, courtesy of Les Voiles de St. Barth Richard Mille.
The 50mm titanium watch, powered by the RMAC2 automatic caliber — made of titanium, too — offers flyback chronograph functions for timing multiple events, annual calendar with oversize date, running seconds and coordinated universal time (UTC) function. It also features a bi-directional rotating outer bezel that offers indication of key compass points, a graduated degree scale, a 24-hour scale, and more. The UTC indicators are operated via a pusher at 9:00, wherein the user points the indcator toward the sun, then turns the bezel to align the UTC hand with the local time so that compass headings correctly align. Safety features include a special quick-locking and releasing mechanism for the chronograph pushers that is activated by a turn of the secondary crown. This system is designed to stop any accidental changes of the chronograph readout, since timing is of the utmost importance in regatta racing. The RM 60-01 Les Voiles de St. Barth 2018 watch is the brand’s second “regatta” watch and the only one that is a limited edition — with just 50 pieces being made and all being sold only in the Americas.
Two things are worth noting about the sailing event and Richard Mille’s longstanding title sponsorship. This year, musician Jimmy Buffet is the American spokesperson for the event; Richard Mille is committed to the sailing community and to this event. I had the great pleasure of joining the Richard Mille team in St. Barth’s several years ago to witness first-hand the amazing camaraderie this event draws — with sailors from around the world converging on some of the most beautiful seas and sands the Caribbean has to offer.
A Close up look at the $161,000 Richard Mille RM 60-01 Les Voiles de St. Barth Limited Edition watch.
Technical specifications of the RM 60-01 Les Voiles de St. Barth 2018 Limited Edition
Case: Dimensions: 50.00 X 16.33 mm
Movement: Caliber RMAC2 automatic winding movement with adjustable rotor geometry
Functions: Hours, minutes, running seconds, oversize date, month, annual calendar, flyback chronograph with central seconds, 30-minute countdown timer, 24-hour totalizer, UTC function
Bezel: Bi-directional bezel with compass
Power reserve: circa 50 hours
Water Resistant : 100 meters
RMAC2 Movement Details:
Baseplate, bridges and balance cock in grade 5 titanium
Free sprung balance with variable inertia
Double barrel system
Balance: Glucydur, 4 arms, inertia moment 4.8 mg cm2, angle of lift 53º
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Spline screws in grade 5 titanium for the case
Water-resistant to 100 meters
