Richard Mille's Dazzling Coloured Sapphire Watches: A Masterpiece Of Luxury
Richard Mille elevates sapphire with luxurious, coloured watch cases and diamond accents, crafted over 1,000 hours of meticulous artistry.
Sapphire is a fascinating material. At its core, this mineral, composed of just aluminium and oxygen, is transformed into its stunning colours by trace elements like iron, titanium, or chromium. With a Mohs hardness rating of 9, just below diamonds, sapphire has been prized as a gemstone for centuries.
While nature’s work is often unparalleled, the rise of synthetic sapphires is an impressive achievement. These man-made sapphires are chemically, physically, and minerally identical to their natural counterparts, crafted with extreme precision. In watchmaking, synthetic sapphires are typically used as crystal panes to protect the dial or as ‘jewels’ in the movement to reduce friction.
Swiss luxury brand Richard Mille, however, elevates sapphire to an entirely new level by crafting watch cases from this remarkable material. The process begins with finely ground aluminium oxide powder, which is heated to temperatures between 2,000 and 2,050 degrees Celsius in controlled conditions, allowing sapphire crystals to grow. To achieve vibrant colours—first introduced in Richard Mille's 2015 RM 07-02 Automatic Sapphire collection—metal oxides are carefully incorporated, resulting in shades of blue, pink, green, and orange.
Creating coloured sapphire is a delicate process. Even the slightest misstep can result in uneven hues or bubbles, which are unacceptable when crafting flawless sapphire watch cases. These imperfections might be overlooked in traditional gem-quality sapphires, but they are intolerable in haute horology.
Once the sapphire is grown, its extreme hardness presents further challenges. Specialized tools are required to cut, shape, mill, and polish the material. At Richard Mille, each case is carved from a single block of sapphire, requiring over 1,000 hours of expert craftsmanship. To add to the allure, Richard Mille has perfected the technique of setting diamonds directly into sapphire. By cutting channels into the crystal and carefully placing hand-polished gold prongs, the brand creates a stunning fusion of gem and material—a gem within a gem.
Read This Next
Serpent-Inspired Timepieces For The Year Of The Snake
By Tan Wei Jie
Cartier Expands Its Panthère Watch Family With New Luxe Pieces
By Goh Yan Ting
