The RM 67-02 originally launched last summer, and now Richard Mille has created three new production examples that offer somewhat more subtle expressions of the same incredibly light and thin automatic sports watch. Just as with the original pair of 67-02s, Richard Mille has connected each of these new versions with an athlete that can test (and likely prove) just how tough and sporty these wild watches really are. Coming in at 38.7mm wide and an astounding 32 grams, including the strap, the RM 67-02 should not be taken as lightly as it wears.
Along with a titanium movement and a special seamless elastic strap, the secret to the RM 67-02’s lightweight construction comes from the use of two advanced materials for the case construction. The case is essentially two outer plates and a center case structure, and these pieces are made from either Carbon TPT and/or Quartz TPT (Thin Ply Technology) both of which you can learn more about in Cara’s original coverage of the RM 67-02. The colors were selected to match those of the home countries of each of the star athletes connected with these new models – the black, red, and yellow version is for Germany’s tennis star Alexander Zverev; the Quartz TPT-cased white model is for the French skier Alexis Pinturault; and the full Carbon TPT version, on a blue strap, is for Sébastien Ogier, an extremely talented World Rally Champion who also hails from France. While far wilder than your average watch, these new RM 67-02 versions are much less colorful than the original two models, which featured dual case coloring in alternating bands of white and magenta, or green and yellow.
As a guy who loves a simple, beat-up dive watch, every opportunity I’ve had to experience a Richard Mille in person remains firmly stamped in my memory. They are amazing things to behold and they seem to break the laws of physics when held in your hand. They don’t seem to weigh … enough? The RM 67-02 is one I’d love to try for myself, and I really rather like the more reserved and uniform look (relative to an RM) of the Ogier version.
While I’m sure RM 67-02 production won’t challenge that of any mass-market brand, the continued pursuit of sporting arenas in which to prove their technology remains a compelling backstory – remember the RM 27-01? Progressing from the high jump and sprinting into the death zone of alpine ski racing, the World Rally Championship, and tennis (again) seems like a great fit for Richard Mille, and it’s an uncommon proving ground for a watch born under the umbrella of haute horology.
While its $120,500 price point will ensure the RM 67-02 remains more of an idea than a reality for most watch enthusiasts, even if I can’t have one, I do like that such watches exist. Richard Mille is an unapologetically modern endeavor in a world of vintage-inspired design and old-school thinking. Bold, tech-forward, and always delightfully high-end, these three new versions are strong additions to the RM 67-02 line up and offer a more subdued take on the lightest of automatic offerings from Richard Mille.