A longstanding fan of the Richard Mille brand, Pharrell Williams was invited to collaborate with the Swiss watchmaker on a timepiece that would bear his name. The point of departure for this latest venture were the multitalented artist’s memories of his childhood fascination with the immensity of space. Only 30 pieces will be available, costing $969,000 USD.
Combining creativity, state-of-the-art technical expertise and tradition, the exceptional watch concocted by Pharrell Williams and Richard Mille will enrapture collectors and timepiece enthusiasts. The RM 52-05 Tourbillon Pharrell Williams is the result of endless painstaking work by the Richard Mille creation and development team, which brought together high-tech materials and a wide range of disciplines including enameling, engraving, and painting.
The timepiece features a brown cermet case, a caseband in Carbon TPT® and a dial that allows you to see an imaginary scene on Mars. The master craftsmen at Richard Mille have reproduced a work that represents Earth viewed from Mars, which is shown as a reflection in an astronaut’s helmet. The space metaphor is also expressed in the hands suggestive of satellite panels, a crown that recalls a space capsule, and a crown-surround that has the distinctive profile of a Martian rover tire.
Among the multitude of elements selected to make up the scene imagined by Pharrell Williams, as well as engraving and enameling, Richard Mille opted for an astronaut helmet sculpted in grade 5 titanium and hand painted white with an airbrush. Inside the helmet, there are two white gold elements set with diamonds to suggest floodlights and a black sapphire representing a camera.
The timepiece is powered by the RM52-05, a manual winding tourbillon movement with hours and minutes and a 42-hour power reserve. The watch will be made in a limited edition of only 30 pieces.
Commenting on the collaboration, Pharrell Williams said: “Creating is about shifting the perspective from which we look at things, that’s really the only difference, and with the RM 52-05, we’ve looked at Mars from a different angle, an unexpected first-person point of view. In doing so, we’re breaking the mold. We have the best timekeeper in the world. We have Mars. And we have an African-American man from Virginia, all connected.”
