Richard Mille RM 47 Tourbillon: Japanese Theme by F1 Driver Fernando Alonso

Richard Mille's new model even looks phenomenal in this unconventional brand's line.

When it comes to originality, the only model that comes close to RM 47 Tourbillon Time of the Samurai is probably RM 52-05 Tourbillon Pharrell Williams with its view of the world as seen from Mars — two watches with nothing in common! Unlike a typical watch dial that offers a view of the movement's components, the new RM 47 Tourbillon invites you to check out the details of Japanese samurai armor.

It's the result of masterful hand-engraving by Pierre-Alain Lozeron and painting by his wife Valérie Lozeron. Richard Mille got the idea to create this kind of watch from an unlikely conversation with two-time Formula 1 world champion and brand partner Fernando Alonso. 

The Spanish racecar driver happens to be a passionate enthusiast of Japanese culture. Richard Mille's novelty is inspired by the Bushidō moral code and the story of the 47 rōnin — warriors who were left leaderless and vowed to avenge the death of their daimyō (feudal lord).

This is the story of daimyō Asano Naganori (1667-1701) who ruled the Akō Domain in feudal Japan's Harima Province. The tourbillon at 6 o'clock is 10.90 mm in diameter and features the Asano family's kamon (crest) in the form of two crossed falcon feathers. The winding crown made of titanium, Carbon TPT® and polished yellow gold is decorated with a Japanese maple leaf for its motif.

The maple leaves hold a special place in Japanese culture — the autumnal opposite of cherry blossoms in spring. Turning red in October, they symbolize the beauty, grace and brevity of life. Four years of work went into the Richard Mille RM 47 Tourbillon, and the impressive novelty’s release has been limited to 75 pieces. The watch is equipped with the compact RM47 caliber movement which is shielded behind a yellow-gold suit of armor.

The engraver used 20 types of incisions to make the armor look realistic. Each piece requires at least 16 hours of work to engrave the samurai's components and another nine hours go into painting them. The novelty made constructing the brand's traditional case complex. The bezel and caseback are made of black TZP ceramic, while yellow gold was used for the caseband.

The details are held in place by twenty titanium spline screws. The plate of the manually wound movement with a 72-hour power reserve serves as a neutral backdrop for the samurai masterpiece. Its baseplate and bridges are made of a black PVD-coated titanium alloy.