23-year old Jamaican Yohan Blake (multiple medal winner at the London Olympics 2012) is one of the fastest sprinters in the world and he has rightly earned a name for himself to become the brand ambassador for Richard Mille, a renowned watch making company based in Les Breuleux, Canton of Jura, Switzerland. Yohan wears a Richard Mille tourbillion prototype on his left hand wrist these days to offer real-life testing to redefine the specifications of the watch designed specifically for athletes. The high-performance tourbillion watch is going to be known by the name RM 59-01 Yohan Blake which is a marvel of ergonomic and aerodynamic design which is only common to vehicle and architectural design.
The manually wound tourbillion movement watch is machined from anticorodal aluminum Pb109 (alloy of aluminum, magnesium, silicon and lead) which supports the center-wheel pinion and tourbillion carriage. The 5-grade baseplate assembly is consolidated with the case itself and hand-painted in green and yellow color that match the Jamaican flag colors.
The oscillation rate of watch is 21,600 vibrations per hour which gives it a power reserve of circa 48 hours. There is a very unique tapering extension between 2 and 5 o’clock to prevent rubbing of torque-limiting crown and is made from translucent composite injection with carbon nanotubes.
RM 59-01 Yohan Blake tourbillion watch measures 50.24 x 42.70 x 15.84 mm and comes in limited edition of 50 timepieces at a price tag of $620,000.
PRESS RELEASE:
TOURBILLON RICHARD MILLE RM 59-01 YOHAN BLAKE
The 23-year-old Jamaican Yohan Blake, multiple medallist at the London Olympics in 2012, is a member of the very exclusive circle of the world’s fastest sprinters. Last August in Lausanne, he won the 100 metres in just 9.69 seconds, running at a speed of 37.15 km/h, confirming his huge talent and record-breaking abilities.
A partner of the brand since July 2012, Yohan Blake runs with a Richard Mille tourbillon prototype on his wrist. Offering a real-life testing ground, he has enabled Richard Mille’s engineers to define the specifications of a watch specifically designed for athletics.
Like our other illustrious sporting partners, all members of the RM Family, Yohan Blake worked with Richard Mille to develop a special caliber designed for sprinters the world over. Mission accomplished with the RM 59-01 Yohan Blake, an aerodynamic, ergonomic and high-performance tourbillon watch featuring a very original structure that meets all the requirements of the sprinter and the brand.
The RM 59-01 impresses at first sight thanks to its extremely dynamic bridges that span the movement and evoke the claws of the «The Beast», Yohan Blake’s nickname. Machined from anticorodal aluminium Pb109, an alloy of aluminium, magnesium, silicon and lead, they support the tourbillon carriage and center-wheel pinion while consolidating the grade 5 titanium baseplate assembly with the case. They are also eloxed (through anodic oxidation) and hand-painted in green and yellow, two colours that also appear on the
aluminium flange in tribute to the Jamaican flag – and in honor of Yohan Blake!
The RM 59-01 is equipped with a skeletonised, manually wound tourbillon movement, with an oscillating rate of 21,600 vibrations per hour and a power reserve of circa 48 hours. It offers an optimal performance/ regularity/power reserve ratio, provided by the combination of grade 5 titanium with anticorodal aluminium Pb109, optimised going train and a variable inertia balance.
The highly innovative case of the RM 59-01 Yohan Blake is a new interpretation of the tonneau shaped design favoured by Richard Mille. It features a surprising thickness and tapering extension between 2 and 5 o’clock, which prevents any rubbing of the torque-limiting crown against Yohan Blake’s wrist, making it extremely comfortable to wear. It is made from a translucent composite injected with carbon nanotubes.
Thanks to its translucent character, the full complexity of the caliber can be admired through the case. The RM 59-01 possesses a powerful identity that compels its recognition as a remarkable piece in the collection. Its design and architecture reflect th personality of the sprinter Yohan Blake, while its performance and unexpected innovations highlight the ambition of Richard Mille to propose ever-more technical and spectacular products.
The RM 59-01 Yohan Blake tourbillon watch is available in a limited edition of 50 timepieces.
Comments
