The Sweet Life

Richard Mille’s New Collection Is Horology’s Technical Prowess Tamed By Sweet, Saccharin Imagination.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), an annual event where the watch industry congregates to have a first look at the year’s new horological offerings and trends, there was a sense of diffused playfulness running through the halls; spotted among the masses were mint green-and-white striped leather “take-away” lunch bags, boldly emblazoned with the catchphrase “A Racing Machine on the Wrist”, in pastel pink. Like the bread crumbs in Hansel and Gretel, walking against the mass of people with these lunch bags led to the mothership — the Richard Mille’s booth, where its interior had been transformed into a candy wonderland. Men and women in business suits found themselves walking beneath oversized “candies” — lollipops, marshmallow, candied fruits, liquorice allsorts, sour fruit leather belts — as candy stripes anchored the booth’s wall. And at the centre of the room stood individual showcases housing the Bonbon collection, Richard Mille’s headliner collection for the year.

From a watchmaker who charted many horology impossibilities, the Bonbon collection is quite a surprise, albeit a sweet one. Technical innovation has always been at the heart of Richard Mille’s timepieces, but this year’s collection, which took all of 18 months to complete, unwrapped the idea of serious watchmaking laced with a whimsical approach — each timepiece is not only inspired by candy but some also sport miniature candy and fruit lookalikes.