Richard Mille Sébastien Loeb RM 36-01: A Tourbillon with a G-Force Sensor

Après working with the watch brand Marvin, Sébastien Loeb joined Richard Mille’s stable. The result of this collaboration, the RM 36-01 Competition G-Sensor Tourbillon, is a plaything with explosive complications and a design as distinctive as ever—captured here in a few shots taken at SIHH 2014.

This curious button you can see in the centre of the sapphire crystal is a mechanical G-sensor—almost enough to make you forget the movement is fitted with a tourbillon.

The rotating brown ceramic bezel is used to set the sensor to the G characteristic to be recorded, up to 6 G (the equivalent of one of the highest accelerations recorded on a Formula 1 circuit). The G readout—accelerations, decelerations and the lateral forces generated in corners—is displayed at 12 o’clock via a scale graded from low (green) to critical (red).

Simply press the central button to reset the indicator to zero. Note that the G-sensor operates on the principle of a translating mass. Wikipedia will be delighted to tell you more.

The dial also displays the power reserve (70 hours) at 2 o’clock, a function indicator at 4 o’clock in the manner of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept, and… the time (yes, really!).

The 47.7 mm case comprises a carbon nanotube middle case, a fixed titanium bezel and a caseback in the same material. The components are made of grade 5 titanium and treated with black PVD.