Richard Mille Bonbon is a sweet and tangy new vision of watchmaking

 

 

Whether in the Sweet or Fruit line, every watch in the Richard Mille Bonbon Collection debuting at SIHH 2019 is mouth-wateringly appetising, andpromises a moment of horological extasy.

 

Richard Mille has bitten into a juicy new realm of graphic, emotional and chromatic expression.

Composed of candies, pastries and fruit, these 10 horological treats once again subvert existing conventions, habits and expectations. Drawing on avowed expertise in the area of materials, colour and form, Richard Mille has taken the lid off a candy jar to reveal two kinds of confections for the wrist. The crowns and some of the caseband, for instance, take the shape of a particular treat, such as a cupcake or gelato.

Richard Mille Bonbon Collection comprises 10 models, each produced in an edition of 30 pieces. The RM 07-03 Cupcake, RM 07-03 Marshmallow, RM 37-01 Sucette and RM 16-01 Réglisse are colourful and delectable.

Based on three of the luxury brand’s iconic watch models, the RM 07-03, RM 16-01 and RM 37-01 timepieces offer a passage back to childhood with the simple pleasure of slightly regressive and thoroughly tasty memories, to be enjoyed without moderation. ‘The idea was to revisit the existing collections while playing with colour. This allowed me to bring out a pop-inspired sense of fun. In all, we developed a palette of 60 colours for this unisex collection,’ explained Cécile Guenat, artistic director for the Richard Mille’s Bonbon collection.

 

Forays into the spectrum of greens, crimson, yellow and even pink are possible thanks to a mastery of materials, many of them exclusive, that is a Richard Mille specialty. The brand’s understanding of how tinted ceramics behave, expertise in layering materials like Carbon TPT and Quartz TPT and constant improvements to the setting of coloured gemstones are all ingredients in these confectionary recipes.

Richard Mille Fruit line is a homage to the very concept of sweet temptation in six delectable flavours: Lemon and Strawberry (RM 16- 01 Citron et Fraise), Blueberry and Litchi (RM 07-03 Myrtille et Litchi), Kiwi and Cherry (RM 37-01 Kiwi et Cerise). In addition to colour-gradient cases made of Carbon TPT combined with Quartz TPT of a different hue for each model is an all-new turquoise colour. Painted in acrylics and lacquered by hand, the 3,000 miniature sculptures integrated in these compositions stand out from the dials, turning each one into a sachet full of tiny candies. To further enhance their realism, a ‘sugar coating’ effect was achieved using powdered enamel and the fine sand employed in hourglasses. Tart jelly ribbons, twisty lollipops, candy citrus segments, gumdrops and other surprises are positioned on plates of grade 5 titanium that are machined and skeletonised like horological components.