Richard Mille expands its high jewellery universe with the RM HJ-02 In-House Automatic Tourbillon, a collection of 12 unique pieces organised into four chromatic families centred around pink, violet, blue and green tones.
Conceived as the second chapter in the brand’s high jewellery development, the RM HJ-02 combines contemporary gem-setting with a newly developed in-house automatic tourbillon movement.
Not just a decorative addition, the gemstones form an integral part of the watch’s architecture, shaping the visual identity of each piece across the case, movement and buckle.
The collection brings together a wide variety of precious and ornamental stones, including rubies, sapphires, diamonds, emeralds and Paraíba tourmalines alongside malachite, chrysoprase, turquoise and mother-of-pearl.
In total, each watch incorporates 1,399 stones arranged through snow, grain and bezel-setting techniques that create complex transitions of colour, reflection and texture.
The case construction draws inspiration from Art Deco geometry while interpreting it through Richard Mille’s contemporary design language.
Rather than following a continuous tonneau profile, the case is interrupted by layered surfaces and angular transitions that alter its silhouette and create shifting visual perspectives depending on the light.
According to the brand, development of the case alone required more than a year of work, contributing to an overall development period exceeding three years for the collection.
The gem-setting process itself represents a substantial undertaking, with nearly 700 hours required for each watch from preparation to finishing and quality control.
At the centre of the RM HJ-02 is the new in-house calibre CRMT2, a skeletonised automatic tourbillon movement developed simultaneously with the case and dial to ensure a coherent integration between the mechanical and jewellery elements.
Measuring 23.70 mm by 30.70 mm and 6.20 mm thick, the movement operates at 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour) and offers a power reserve of approximately 50 hours.
The calibre incorporates a free-sprung balance with variable inertia regulated by four adjustable weights, while winding is ensured by a gem-set gold rotor fitted with the brand’s One-Way reverser system mounted on ceramic ball bearings.
The movement architecture also highlights a fast-rotating barrel completing one revolution every five hours instead of the more conventional seven-and-a-half hours.
According to Richard Mille, this configuration contributes to more stable mainspring performance and improved regularity.
Particular attention has been devoted to the finishing of the calibre. The baseplate and bridges are machined from gem-set 18k white gold and finished with microblasted, bevelled and rhodium-plated surfaces.
Additional decorative techniques include hand-polished anglage, stepped bevelling, satin-finishing and microblasted sections.
The relationship between movement and gem-setting plays a central role in the overall composition. The stones follow the structure of the calibre and emphasise elements such as the tourbillon and barrel, while maintaining visual continuity with the case design.
The tripartite case is water resistant to 50 metres / 165 feet and assembled using Richard Mille’s characteristic spline screws in grade 5 titanium.
Sapphire crystals with anti-reflective treatment on both sides protect the front and back of the watch.
With the RM HJ-02 In-House Automatic Tourbillon, Richard Mille continues to explore the intersection between contemporary watchmaking and high jewellery through a collection where gem-setting and mechanical construction are conceived as a unified whole. richardmille.com
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