VIEW BEYOND THE RACES
For Richard Mille, life in the fast lane is more than just performance-driven machines, it’s a profound appreciation for excellence in various forms.
Richard Mille’s watches aren’t just watches. It’s right there in the brand’s tagline: to wear a Richard Mille is to wear “a racing machine on the wrist”. It’s not only because they cost as much as actual cars, but because they are well-engineered, high-performance tickers inspired by high-octane racing events, and worn by championship-winning wheelmen on the circuits of the world’s most exhilarating races. But there is actually a lot more to the brand than this shared pursuit of wheels and gears.
Richard Mille also embraces his other passions apart from racing. These range from the world of sports to lifestyle, paired with extreme watch engineering. The sport segment is self-evident and is often top of mind. In this category, watches are designed for (and sometimes by) sporting stars. Here you’ll find materials like the lightweight and strong Titacarb, and movements that can withstand over 500 g’s of acceleration. The idea of wearing a mechanical watch – let alone one with a tourbillon – while playing golf or tennis was laughably inconceivable until watches like the RM 038 Bubba Watson and the RM 027 Rafael Nadal showed up on the green and the court.
The realm of extreme watch engineering is where Richard Mille goes to break some horological boundaries. It’s where you’ll find the RM UP-01 Ferrari, which broke the record for the world’s flattest watch with a thickness of just 1.75mm, the complicated RM 62-01 with its novel vibrating alarm function, and the RM 031 High Performance Chronometer, equipped with a special escapement that gives the movement a chronometric variation of less than 30 seconds a month.
The lifestyle pillar thus lies in the happy middle, where the spirit of speed and durability blend with the tenets of high horology, manifesting in timepieces that enjoy more creative freedom. Think candycoloured ceramics and gem-set cases in the RM 07-01 collection, or the Mars-themed RM 52-05 Tourbillon designed in partnership with Pharrell Williams. The company even made a mechanical fountain pen, the
RM S05, demonstrating its commitment to a
lifestyle that celebrates craftsmanship.
But Richard Mille also looks at this pillar as an opportunity for watches to complement one’s day-to-day living. The RM 30-01, for example, may look like just another automatic watch with a date and power reserve indicator, but there’s more to the movement than its distinctive diamond shape. The Calibre RMAR2 is all about energy management. To alleviate any tension associated with winding, the RM 30-01 has a variable-geometry rotor that smartly de-clutches once the power reserve reaches its maximum 55 hours, disconnecting itself from the winding mechanism. This feature ensures optimal torque and power efficiency. As the power reserve winds down past the 40-hour threshold, the rotor re-engages to rewind the barrel spring, allowing the oscillating organ to maintain peak chronometric performance. A clutch engagement indicator is positioned at 11 o’clock, providing wearers real-time feedback on whether the rotor is actively winding (On) or disengaged (Off).
The world of Richard Mille has also been inspired by music and movement, as seen in the RM 72-01 Automatic Winding Lifestyle Flyback Chronograph. Unlike the common tri-compax placement of registers at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock, the RM 72-01 has them at 3, 8, and 11 o’clock, because of the traditional three-beat time signature of dances like the waltz and polka. Accompanying the watch’s launch in 2020 was a literal dance titled “Within”, choreographed by Benjamin Millepied of Black Swan and Dune fame, with music by composer Thomas Roussel, and filmed against the backdrop of California’s Joshua Tree National Park.
Beyond its captivating campaign, the RM 72-01 marks a significant milestone as the brand’s first in-house chronograph calibre, the CRMC1. It features a patented double oscillating pinion system that helps the watch maintain accuracy and power reserve even when the chronograph is engaged. Traditional vertical clutch systems do this, too, but the CRMC1’S mechanism is thinner, allowing for an overall movement thickness of just 6.05mm. As one of the slimmest chronographs from the brand, the RM 72-01 embraces the “Lifestyle” portion of its name by making it a comfortable and stylish sports watch for everyday wear.
But for all the action-packed intensity that Richard Mille often surrounds itself with, the brand also enjoys slowing down from time to time. Since 2014, Richard Mille has been a proud partner of the Chantilly Arts & Elegance, an annual automotive event held at the picturesque Chateau de Chantilly in France that celebrates the timeless beauty of classic cars.
At the heart of the event lies the Concours d’elegance, where rare and exquisite classic cars are judged based on criteria such as design, authenticity, and historical significance. Beyond the Concours, attendees are treated to a variety of charming experiences, including a showcase of art installations, exhibitions and live music performances.
Richard Mille also supports the Rallye des Princesses, an annual women-only classic car rally held in France, toasting the spirit of adventure and camaraderie among female enthusiasts. The rally routes, which traditionally start at the iconic Place Vendome, are both scenic and challenging, guiding participants through stunning regions like the French Riviera, Provence, and the French Alps. The cars featured in the rally range from the early 20th-century vintage models to more modern classics from the 1960s and 1970s, each meticulously and lovingly restored to their former glory.
Eager to be more than just a sponsor to such events, the company set up its own vintage yacht race, the Richard Mille Cup, with the inaugural edition launched last June. “Classic yachts bear a living, breathing testimony to the highest values of workmanship, heritage and tradition passed on to us through centuries,” says Mille himself. “By creating this challenge, we aim to set sail through history and to bring this high-end craft very much back to life.”
The race features pre-war boats navigating from Falmouth to Le Havre, with notable stopovers at sailing landmarks Dartmouth and Cowes. William Collier, the organiser of the Fife Regatta since 1998 and a dedicated yacht restorer, underscores the importance of these yachts as cultural artefacts, and hopes to recapture the spirit of the pre-war British racing circuit through his partnership with the Cup.
To further honour this legacy, Mille and Collier have established Team Fife, composed of a fleet of William Fife yachts that include the Mariquita, Moonbeam, and Moonbeam IV, to promote the beauty and pageantry of handcrafted vessels. Fifteen yachts, dating from the late 19th century to the late 1930s, participated in the race, with brand friend and sailor Pierre Casiraghi joined aboard the Tuiga, the flagship vessel of the Yacht Club de Monaco. But it was the 108-year-old Herreshoff-designed schooner Mariette that was crowned the maiden winner of the Cup, with her team receiving trophies crafted by Garrard, jeweller to the British royal family.
While Richard Mille has certainly earned the right to call its timepieces racing machines, perhaps it is more fitting to see the brand as an entire lifestyle – however fast or slow – devoted to passion, innovation, and community.