Ceramics have been around since primitive times, but it as in the 1980s that these artificial materials made their way into the watch world. Used for their scratch-resistant qualities, high tech ceramics are nonmetallic and inorganic, and they boast some seriously strong molecular bonds. This grants the material a high melting point and an extreme hardness—hardness that rivals diamonds. Certme is a ceramic-metal composite that is as light as titanium and as hard as a diamond. The aerospace, automotive and ballistics industries for high-performance ceramic inserts. Swiss copy Richard Mille used the material for the case and bezel of the RM 11-05. Richard Mille partnered with the IMI Group, a microtechnology solutions company that services the luxury goods market, to perfect the material.
The perfect replica watch has a lot more going for it than just a revolutionary ceramic. It boasts a skeletonised automatic winding movement that is made of titanium. The movement also includes a flyback chronograph that displays minutes and countdown counters at the 9 o’clock position, an hour counter at 6 o’clock, and UTC functionality. It also has a variable geometry rotor and offers 55 hours of power reserve. The watch comes on a Carbon TPT band.
As you might imagine, putting a quality fake watch like this together is no easy feat. Just to make the case, RM and IMI had to pioneer a new process called “flash sintering.” With that in mind, only 140 pieces will be made. If you’re looking for a nearly indestructible yet incredibly handsome watch, you can get an RM 11-05 automatic winding flyback chronograph GMT for USD$215,000.