Liquorice, lollipop and marshmallow -- whoever thought that candies, not to mention cupcake, would glaze dials of mechanical watches?
The Bonbon collection is a big surprise from sweet-tooth Richard Mille, which normally draws inspiration from the aviation and automobile industries.
The avant-garde brand has released 10 confectionary-inspired models -- four of them grouped in the Sweets line that showcases fine craftsmanship.
Requiring extremely high firing temperatures, around 800C, grand feu enamelling achieves mouthwatering motifs on the dials of RM 07-03 Cupcake, RM 07-03 Marshmallow and RM 37-01 Sucette.
RM 16-01 Réglisse.
Like making rock candy or tempering chocolate, it is a demanding process that determines the strength and sheen of decorative parts.
Firing and glazing techniques differ from traditional methods, explained artistic director Cécile Guenat, in order to recreate the sweet treats on the dial in grade 5 titanium, red gold or a combination of the titanium with red or white gold.
"Our grand feu enamels are produced without enamel backing. This allows us to reduce the thickness, but adds yet another layer of complexity to the production process," said Guenat.
Enamelwork is normally lapidated by levelling and burnishing so that the final surface does not exceed the designated height. This polishing, however, rubs out texture and flattens the surface.
"Rather than lapidation, we have chosen to sand the grand feu enamel on the RM 07-03 Marshmallow in order to preserve the volume and appearance of the material itself. This is how we achieve the fluffy quality of the marshmallow on the dial, for instance," she said.
The dials of RM 07-03 models share an assembly of several plates to produce the spiralling pattern, with the modular construction enhancing realism of volumes and highlighting the texture.
RM 37-01 Sucette.
"The six grand feu enamel plates of the Marshmallow are all created separately before they are arranged together and assembled. We made the decision not to add a border to the dial, leaving an arbitrary contour," said Guenat. "The layer of grand feu enamel rises to the level of the flange and indexes. This too proved to be a technical challenge."
The dial of RM 37-01 Sucette features a green and garnet swirl, with a date display under 12 o'clock and a function selector at 4 o'clock.
The fourth model, RM 16-01 Réglisse is centred by a liquorice roll, stamped from a solid titanium block and coated in black chrome recalling the candy's waxy coating. Two square and round liquorices serve as hour and quarterly markers while a date display is positioned at 7 o'clock.
Limited editions in the Sweets line are housed in two-tone ceramic cases. Bezels and casebacks are made of TZP ceramic, a highly-scratch resistant material in various colours.
For example, a blush pink combines with yellow, and green hunter with grey for the bezel and case back of the Réglisse and Sucette models.
The Cupcake's case is in shades of blue while its white gold caseband evokes a fluted liner and crown shaped like a gateau, details in "baking" the delectable timepiece.
