First Watch to bear the name Pharrell Williams, Richard Mille RM 52-05 Manual Winding Tourbillon

The man from another planet

Maybe the word that best sums up Pharrell Williams is ‘universal’ —in in every sense of the term. A deep link to the cosmos is something he felt very early on. No surprise, then, that Pharrell grew up a major fan of Star Trek, as anyone will know who has seen him use a Vulcan salute when conveying the name of his label, Star Trak. He has never made any secret of his fascination for the cosmos, or of the deep sense of spirituality he derives from it, of the wholeness at the centre of things.

Conjuring the visions, fantasies, and other imaginary projections of the brand’s partners is a familiar quest for Richard Mille, one that begins all over with every new adventure. A truly artistic project, the development of the RM 52-05 is special for the way it hinges on interpreting an idea, a symbol and a desire. This last has taken the form of a tourbillon whose originality lies in its astonishingly multidisciplinary techniques.

TIME

'Watches are 100% an art form: you're mimicking time. They keep time but ‘two weeks ago’ is gone, you can't show me where it is. So is ‘two weeks from now’, you can't show me that either. What Richard does is build something that lets you take the metric of what time looks like. That's a wizard-level art form.
I'm a producer, I know how to stand next to the guy, even in this instant: Richard is the guy. I know baselines and chords and harmonies. That's it. I'm harmonising with him. '

CALIBRE RM52-05

Manual winding tourbillon movement with hours and minutes.

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BASEPLATE AND BRIDGES IN GRADE 5 TITANIUM

Grade 5 titanium is a biocompatible, highly corrosion-resistant and remarkably rigid alloy that enables the gear train to function effortlessly. The alloy is 90% titanium, 6% aluminium and 4% vanadium. This combination further enhances the material’s mechanical properties, which explains its frequent use in the aerospace, aeronautics and automobile industries.

The baseplate of the movement features large inserts in dazzling blue aventurine glass that evoke outer space. Also known as ‘goldstone’, this glass glitters due to its triangular and hexagonal copper crystal inclusions. Incorporated into the heart of the RM52-05 calibre, it represents the confines of the universe and all its stars.

Rigorous tests have also confirmed its resistance capacities.

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