Richard Mille’s Skeletonized RM 33-03 Watch Is A Collectible Timepiece In Titanium Or Carbon

The RM 33-03 Automatic features a new movement and a distinctive circular case.

For as much as Richard Mille watches push the boundaries of haute horology, the luxury Swiss watchmaker’s latest feels undeniably fresh: The new RM 33-03 boasts a distinctive circular case shape, swerving from its normal design cues.

Available in two rugged case builds (one titanium option and one carbon TPT build), the impressive duo (which succeeds the RM 33-02) leave nothing to the imagination, showcasing the intricate mechanics within while forgoing the usual bold square and rectangular builds of other RM releases. The celeb-favored watchmaker might be going back to the basics in terms of case shape (relatively speaking), but the Richard Mille RM 33-03 Automatic is far from ordinary, if its specs are any indication.

For starters, there’s the impossibly slim 3.28-mm build of its skeletonized automatic RMXP3 calibre movement, which rests on a titanium baseplate and is mounted on ceramic ball bearings for an exemplary study via “precision in motion,” the watchmaker said. Black PVD-coated bridges give the baseplate rigid durability and “precise surface flatness,” which the haute horologist notes is “key to flawless functioning of the gear train and accurate timekeeping.” For watch lineup that already includes a “Ferrari on the wrist” as of late, down-to-the-millisecond tracking is of the highest order.

18-karat 5N red gold numerals ensure legibility and a refined finishing touch, sitting on rigid titanium rails that rest between the flange and the movement. “This intricate dial, like the bridges, is a technical feat due to its thinness, but is also functional,” accenting what the watchmaker calls the sleek lines of its sport-inspired design.” Sleek is an understatement, as each version of the watch measures a mere 9.7mm thick, a detail that gives the new RM 33-03 an impossibly light feel on the wrist.

A suspended titanium-treated date disc breaks out from the dial at the 5-o’clock marker, an unusual feature for an RM watch, the company notes, while a small-seconds display awaits at 6-o’clock. Four small weights oscillating around a balance wheel help regulate the watch’s accuracy while also delivering a 40-hour power reserve (shorter in time than other Richard Mille timepieces, but no less impressive considering the various components in either version of the Richard Mille RM 33-03 Automatic.

Intricate finishing touches, including sandblasting and micro-blasting to ensure durability and precision in the movement, are also undertaken with great care across the 41.7mm dial of each timepiece, said Richard Mille Creative and Development Director Cécile Guenat. “Meanwhile, the empty and full spaces created by the movement’s high degree of skeletonization also contribute to a shadow and light mood,” Guent said.

Complete with a sporty rubber strap featuring a ridged design flowing from both 12-o’clock and 6-o’clock, the new duo of Richard Mille automatic watches boast a “blend of elegance, technicity, and ergonomics.” Good luck getting your hands on either the titanium version or the carbon TPT offering: Priced at about $150,000 and $188,500 respectively, the new Richard Mille RM 33-03 Automatic is a testament to refined precision and a luxe blend of sporting aesthetics and fine horology.