Richard Mille’s RM 63-02 Automatic Worldtimer, limited to 100 pieces, transforms how worldtime complications function by relocating time zone adjustment from pushers or crowns directly onto the rotating bezel. The microblasted 5N red gold bezel, mounted on ball bearings, integrates a dedicated wheel connecting directly to the hour wheel within the movement. Twist the bezel to position your current city at 12 o’clock, and the local time adjusts instantaneously whilst simultaneously updating the remaining 23 cities displayed around the periphery, an interaction between case and calibre that eliminates the fumbling associated with conventional systems.
The dial presents a monumental bridge in black rhodium with circular brushing that occupies the dial side, revealing the worldtimer mechanism whilst framing the oversize date at 12 o’clock. Two skeletonised titanium discs display the date, adjusted via a gold pusher at 11 o’clock, whilst Richard Mille‘s signature function selector sits at 4 o’clock with its visible titanium disc cycling between neutral, winding, and hand-setting positions. The worldtimer reads against a graduated inner flange marked with 24-hour increments, with a two-tone disc in rose and burgundy distinguishing day from night. The 0.40 mm sapphire dial with anti-glare treatment on both surfaces virtually disappears, offering unobstructed views of the movement below.
Richard Mille developed the CRMA4 calibre entirely in-house, building it on a baseplate and bridges machined from grade 5 titanium with microblasting and electroplasma treatment that improves rigidity whilst ensuring precise surface flatness. Measuring 33.50 mm in diameter and 7.73 mm thick, the movement operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour with a free-sprung variable-inertia balance wheel featuring four small weights on the CuBe balance. The configuration that eliminates the index entirely and enhances chronometric stability. The fast-rotating barrel completes one revolution every five hours rather than the typical 7.5, reducing periodic internal mainspring adhesion, whilst the 20° pressure angle specified for the involute profile of the entire going train equalises discrepancies arising between wheel centres during thermal changes and regular use. Hand-polished chamfered edges, microblasted sinks, filed rims, and grey electroplasma treatment on the baseplate combine with Titalyt coating on the bridges to deliver finishing that reflects specific performance requirements rather than arbitrary decoration.
The Richard Mille RM 63-02 case demands nearly 200 individual parts in its four-part construction, measuring 47.00 x 13.85 mm and pairing a satin-finished 5N red gold bezel with polished bevels against a grade 5 titanium caseband. The bezel’s dual role: adjusting time zones whilst maintaining case integrity to 30-metre water resistance through two Nitrile O-ring seals. The bezel requirs precise engineering verified across 5,000 full bezel rotations. Twelve grade 5 titanium spline screws assemble the case. The sapphire crystals with a hardness rating of 1,800 Vickers measures 1.10 mm at centre (increasing to 1.64 mm at outer edges) and received anti-glare treatment on both surfaces. The three-part case comprises 106 components, with 12 dedicated exclusively to controlling the worldtimer bezel and a further 86 parts of the Calibre CRMA4 contributing directly to the worldtimer function.
The RM 63-02 Automatic Worldtimer resolves the fundamental tension between complication accessibility and mechanical sophistication by positioning time zone adjustment on the rotating bezel, transforming what typically requires deliberate button pressing into a natural rotational gesture. The bezel-to-movement integration, achieved through a dedicated wheel acting directly on the hour wheel, represents genuine problem-solving rather than incremental refinement. Limited to 100 pieces in 5N red gold and titanium, the RM 63-02 demonstrates Richard Mille‘s capacity to reimagine established complications through material science and engineering clarity. The brand delivered a worldtimer that prioritises intuitive operation without compromising horological rigour for those who navigate multiple time zones regularly.
