While we have featured a lot of different watch brands at WWR over it’s 11+ year history, I am fairly confident that Richard Mille is not one to have graced our pages. This is not due to their watches being bad (they’re not) or some other snub. No, simply put, what they offer, while exciting, does not mesh with our mission to bring you news from the more affordable end of the market. This does not necessarily change with the Richard Mille RMS05 Fountain Pen – but when I saw it, I knew I had to write about it.
There is no disputing that Richard Mille is on of the heavyweights of the luxury watch segment. That alone, though, is not enough for me to write about the Richard Mille RMS05 . The fact that the fountain pen contains influences from watch making, however, that makes it a different prospect all together. First off, let’s talk about what the main pen body is made of. Here, we have NTPT Carbon (as they used previously) which, to date, has been used for watch cases (as well as aspects of the sailing industry). Aside from being light and strong, it makes for a rather curious patterning on the pen.
Other materials used on the Richard Mille RMS05 include white gold (on the nib) and grade 5 titanium in the caliber. Yes, that’s right – the Richard Mille RMS05 features a movement in it, albeit one slightly different than we are used to. Rather than keeping time, this is instead used to extend the nib from the body of the pen once the cap is removed and a pusher is pressed. Along with the baseplate and bridges (which make use of the aforementioned titanium) there is also an escapement used – in this case, one borrowed from the world of clock movements. Why an escapement?
Well, it is to ensure that the nib of the Richard Mille RMS05 is deployed smoothly and at a constant speed (want to see it in action? I found this video from WatchAnish on Instagram). Given this movement, you must be wondering how energy is supplied. Well, the movement is an automatic of sorts. It stores up energy when the cap is placed back on to the pen, which pushes the nib back into the body. When it comes time to redeploy, the cap is removed, and the button at the tail of the Richard Mille RMS05 is pressed. This button even manages to carry over the style of fasteners we often see on Richard Mille watch cases.
Coming in at a price of around $118,000, the Richard Mille RMS05 Fountain Pen is certainly not for everyone, especially a newbie to these types of pens such as myself. That said, I cannot help but to believe that this must be a joy to watch in action. Yeah, this is purely over-the-top engineering. I mean, there is really no need for the nib to retract and extend (as there is a cap) and even if it needed to, a simpler spring and lock mechanism could work. That’s not how Richard Mille does it, though. I will admit, the Richard Mille RMS05 Fountain Pen displays a certain sort of creative insanity to it, one with some appeal. And, if you’re the sort who finds yourself flying about in luxury circles, well, then this is the pen to tuck away in your jacket. richardmille.com
Pen Overview
- Brand & Model: Richard Mille RMS05 Fountain Pen
- Price: $118,000
- Who we think it might be for: Your safe is already full of Richard Mille watches, so you want something a little different to carry around
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen?: If money were no object? Absolutely! I could use it to sign off on the bill of sale that starts a college fund for my kids
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: The caliber that was built into the pen – truly overkill, but precision engineered to do one job and do it well
Tech Specs from Richard Mille
- Finishing
- Movement
- Baseplate in grade 5 titanium, electroplasma treated Bridges in grade 5 titanium, microblasted and PVD treated
- Wheels
- Circular finished faces
- Rhodium-plating (before cutting the teeth)
- Movement
- Nib: in white gold, hand-polished
- Section in grade 5 titanium, microblasted
- Clip in grade 5 titanium, satin finished
- Crystal: In sapphire (1800 Vickers) with anti-glare treatment (2 sides)
