Richard Mille’s RM 16-02 is a masterpiece in motion

When it comes to Richard Mille, subtlety isn’t exactly part of the playbook. The avant-garde watchmaker is best known for turning timepieces into statements — complex, daring, and meticulously engineered. But with the RM 16-02 Automatic Extraflat, the brand rewrites its own rules, presenting a watch that marries urban minimalism with mechanical precision. Forget everything you know about rectangular watches — this is Richard Mille’s ultimate flex, where artistry meets functionality in unexpected ways.

Inspired by the raw, unapologetic aesthetics of Brutalist architecture, the RM 16-02 doesn’t shy away from being different. Its rectangular case feels like an invitation to explore a labyrinth of interwoven forms, playing with light and shadow in a way that feels more like modern sculpture than traditional horology. Every angle and every detail seems to whisper a story, drawing the eye deeper into its maze-like design. The materials, from titanium to the newly unveiled Terracotta Quartz TPT®, celebrate authenticity and reject artifice, creating a piece that feels as grounded as it is futuristic.

Beneath the surface, the RM 16-02 houses the brand’s latest in-house innovation: the Calibre CRMA9. This automatic movement is a masterpiece of open working, with extreme skeletonisation that reveals an intricate network of cutaways designed to maximise light flow. It requires hours of meticulous milling and manual finishing to achieve its impossibly precise aesthetic. Yet, for all its complexity, the movement’s design prioritises efficiency and purity, encapsulating Richard Mille’s ability to balance the mechanical with the artistic.

But the RM 16-02 is more than a technical showpiece. Its slimmed-down, extra-flat case—10% smaller than the original RM 016 — hugs the wrist with a sense of ease rarely found in haute horology, whether in the sleek grade 5 titanium or the bold Terracotta Quartz TPT®.

Even the hour markers refuse to play by conventional rules. These thread-like indices twist and turn through the skeletonised dial, creating a sense of movement that blurs the line between functional detail and artistic expression. It’s a subtle nod to the interplay between time and perception, inviting wearers to interpret as a personal experience between creator and collector.

With its bold design language, uncompromising mechanics, and architectural inspiration, the RM 16-02 Automatic Extraflat is a striking re-imagination of what a watch can be. In true Richard Mille fashion, it’s not about fitting into the mould but breaking it entirely.