Richard Mille (RM) has just unveiled its latest women’s high jewelry timepiece—the RM HJ-02 Automatic Winding Tourbillon. Looking back at 2020, the brand launched the RM HJ-01, marking a major milestone in its entry into the realm of high jewelry watches. Today, the RM HJ-02 officially represents the second chapter of the brand’s high jewelry legend, paying tribute to its 20-year journey of dedication to crafting timepieces for women.
This release is exceptionally rare, with the entire collection strictly limited to just 12 pieces, each being a unique, one-of-a-kind creation. These 12 watches are categorized into four distinct color palettes: Pink Pursuit, Violet Variations, Blue Ballet, and Green Gambit, presenting a mesmerizing and brilliant visual feast. To celebrate the grand launch of the RM HJ-02, the brand specially released a short film titled The Dazzling Division, starring Academy Award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh, perfectly showcasing the bold and independent spirit of modern women.
Departing from traditional jewelry watches, the RM HJ-02 treats gemstones entirely as an integral part of the watch’s architectural structure, rather than mere surface decoration. Inspired by the geometric language of Art Deco, Richard Mille’s signature tonneau-shaped case has been completely reconstructed. It is no longer a single, continuous curve, but is instead filled with sharp angles, cascading facets, and an asymmetrical three-dimensional structure. Each watch is set with up to 1,399 precious and ornamental stones, including rubies, sapphires, diamonds, emeralds, Paraiba tourmalines, as well as malachite and mother-of-pearl. From the case and clasp down to the movement, the masterful gem-setting presents a kaleidoscopic array of colors.
Richard Mille utilized three premier techniques—snow setting, grain setting, and bezel setting—to layer these magnificent hues. The gem-setting and polishing processes alone require nearly 700 hours of meticulous handwork per watch (equivalent to about 88 working days), which undoubtedly posed a massive challenge to the brand’s in-house gem-setting team.
The RM HJ-02 is powered by the in-house CRMT2 skeletonized automatic tourbillon movement, boasting a power reserve of approximately 50 hours. Its baseplate and bridges are crafted from 18K white gold, finished with manual micro-blasting and anglage (beveling). Inside, it is equipped with a free-sprung balance with variable inertia, which significantly enhances the movement’s shock resistance. The traditional index-assembly micro-adjustment system has been eliminated; instead, the inertia of the balance wheel is adjusted far more precisely and stably via four adjustable small weights placed directly on the balance wheel itself. Furthermore, the movement’s decoration is breathtaking: the brand has traced the movement’s lines with gemstones, achieving visual continuity with the watch’s outer silhouette. This highlights the core mechanical structure, allowing the fast-rotating barrel and the variable-inertia tourbillon to stand out brilliantly.
