Art Attack

Artistically, Richard Mille has boldly gone where no watchmaker had gone before, using its watches as canvas for a slew of eye-popping creative expressions, writes Brian Cheong

- Brian Cheong

In September this year, Richard Mille struck a partnership with Frieze Masters and Frieze London, an art event organised by Frieze, a leading purveyor of contemporary art. Its involvement in this renowned art fair is not surprising, going by how many of its watches extol abstract creativity.

“A watch must be an excellent timekeeping device, with the highest chronometric results achievable. But I see no reason why it can’t be fascinating and multi-layered in its visual expressivity, in the same way that a great work of art offers complex layers of comprehension to each viewer,” said brand founder Richard Mille. “Defining these aspects during the design process is somewhat akin to the world of miniaturist painting, where an entire world can open up within the confined area of just a few square centimetres.”

In London, Richard Mille took the opportunity to showcase some of its most exceptional rare pieces on loan from private collectors, such as the Philippe Starck collab, the RM 052 Tourbillon Skull and, most notably, the RM 68-01 Tourbillon Cyril Kongo.