Among the ten or so new models presented at the SIHH 2012 by the ever active Richard Mille, the RM 037 is distinguished by its new Manufacture automatic calibre, built on a skeletonised baseplate in grade 5 titanium and equipped with a new variable-geometry rotor and a variable-inertia balance. The  gaze is immediately drawn to the oversized date and the subtly rounded pushers controlling the date at 10 o’clock and the function (winding – neutral – time-setting) selector at 4 o’clock. Richard Mille engineers, who are constantly engaged in the pursuit of innovation, have designed a patented system in which the crown is connected to the case and no longer to the movement, in order to avoid breakage of the stem. Typically for such a model at the peak of the pyramid in the new watchmaking order, the complexity of the RM 037 case alone calls for over 255 machining operations, and the finishing requires five hours of satin-brushing and polishing. Sophistication has found its master.