A gem-set sapphire treasure from Richard Mille

Sapphire is the latest ‘in thing’, and if it is set with gems, then it obviously beats gold, which is now passé. Richard Mille is creating a buzz with its Gemset Sapphire RM 07-02…

Haute horlogerie marque Richard Mille is now expressing its new approach to diamonds through coloured sapphire in the Gemset Sapphire RM 07-02. The very long process of fabrication starts with a detailed study of the sapphire’s composition. The machining of each piece of extremely hard and resistant sapphire, honed from a giant block, requires 40 days of finishing. Added to this, the sapphire’s deep structure is also examined so as to achieve the exact tone of pink, green or blue chosen by the brand.

Setting each element is a real engineering feat requiring a laser operating to the nearest micrometre. This takes twice the time compared to ceramics or Carbon TPT. Prongs in red or grey hand-polished gold, made separately, are then inserted, creating multiple settings to hold a delicate row of diamonds. The crystalline hue of the sapphire enhances the subtle alternating rhythm between the brightness of the twelve diamond lines and the brand’s emblematic design of the case screws.

This new case highlights the house’s skeletonised movement— in micro blasted grey gold for the green and blue sapphire versions, and in 5N red gold for the pink sapphire. Similarly, each sapphire colour corresponds to a specific ornamental stone on the dial: nephrite for the green sapphire, mother-of-pearl for the blue, and jasper for the pink. A diamond completes each crown. The piece is wound automatically via its variable-geometry rotor in 18K 5N red gold set with diamonds, ensuring that the winding adapts to the movements of the wearer. The purity of the calibre echoes that of the case, each complementing the other to form a unique timepiece that combines innovation and finesse.