RICHARD MILLE

Richard Mille watches have always been the result of experimental research on high-tech materials combined with a distinctive design to underscore the concept of performance. "A racing machine on the wrist," was one of the brand's early slogans.

Richard Mille, on the other hand, showed great respect for the Swiss watchmaking heritage by developing exceedingly intricate mechanical movements that were built and completed by hand.

Richard began his career in the watchmaking business in 1974, holding managerial positions in several watch companies until becoming managing director (and shareholder) of the watch division of famous French jewellery manufacturer Mauboussin in the early 1990s.

Richard Mille met Giulio Papi, one of our generation's most outstanding watchmakers and Director of Research and Development at Audemars Piguet Renaud et Papi (APR&P), Audemars Piguet's high-end watchmaking subsidiary, during these years.

Richard Mille chose to launch his own luxury watch company in 1999 with the goal of breaking the usual conventions connected with high-end watches, which are frequently linked with a baroque aesthetic and costly materials such as gold and platinum.

His broad industry knowledge and numerous contacts enabled him to form active cooperation with some of Switzerland's leading movement and component manufacturers.

Horometrie SA, the brand's principal legal body, was founded in 2001 by Richard Mille and Dominique Guenat and is based in Les Breuleux, a tiny town in the canton of Jura in the north-west of Switzerland, not far from the famed watchmaking hubs of La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle.

Audemars Piguet became a minority shareholder in the project as well. Audemars Piguet Renaud et Papi has been the technological partner for the Richard Mille collection's most sophisticated movements, including tourbillons and split seconds chronographs, since the beginning.

The first timepiece was far from straightforward. The Richard Mille RM 001 was, in reality, a tourbillon model, one of the most distinguished horological achievements. There were just 17 pieces made.

The RM 001 was followed by the RM 002, which was a development of the RM 001 with the inclusion of a torque indicator, and the RM 003, which also had a second time zone.

The RM 004 split-seconds chronograph, released in 2003, was the first in a long line of high-performance chronographs for a brand with sport in its DNA.

The first wristwatch with a carbon-fiber baseplate was the RM 006. Carbon fiber changed the aviation and automotive industries because of its unique properties: it is strong, stiff, lightweight, and extremely resistant to contraction and expansion when exposed to temperature changes. Richard Mille desired a black baseplate for this model, therefore its gloomy appearance was a significant benefit. Manufacturing such a baseplate, on the other hand, was incredibly difficult and expensive due to the difficulties of cutting and drilling with the precision necessary for watchmaking.

In 2004, many new models were introduced, including the extraordinary RM 008, which included all of the features of the RM004 chronograph with the addition of a tourbillon, a first for the company. Torque and power reserve indicators were also included in the model.

The RM 007 and RM 009, an experimental model in ALUSIC, a material often used in the building of satellites and space stations, were presented the following year as the brand's first clocks for ladies.

The RM 012, a tubular tourbillon with a minimalist form and significant manufacturing complexity, was released in 2006. This platinum watch was produced in a limited edition of 30 pieces with the explicit goal of revolutionizing the traditional concept of a plate on which wheels are positioned by replacing it with tubes to create a three-dimensional architectural ensemble that is both reliable and efficient while also being extremely light and aerial.

The RM 012 won the coveted "Aiguille d'Or" award - the watchmaking equivalent of the Academy Award - at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève in 2007.

Richard Mille designed one of its most successful chronographs with the RM 011 Felipe Massa Flyback Chronograph, which will be manufactured in numerous iterations throughout the years in partnership with other sports celebrities such as Roberto Mancini and Jean Todt.

The unusually flat and rectangular RM 016, introduced the same year, was available in a number of materials, including a titanium version with Titalyt, an electro-plasma treatment that increases the hardness of the metal by generating a crystalline oxide ceramic coating.

Richard Mille's RM 020 Tourbillon is a reimagining of historical pocket watches, as well as a proclamation of affection for watchmaking traditions.

Richard Mille's response to women's increased interest in intricate watches was the release of the RM 019, a tourbillon for Ladies, in 2009. The company has created a large range of watches for women over the years, which today account for around 25% of the brand's overall sales.

The RM 025 Tourbillon Chronograph "Diver's Watch" was the brand's first round watch. The watch, which was housed in a titanium and rose gold tripartite case, was water resistant to 300 meters / 1000 feet, a depth that could only be achieved with a circular form.

Each year, Richard Mille continued to demonstrate his great creative vigor by delivering a number of new works. The release of the RM 027 tourbillon, the world's lightest mechanical wristwatches at just 19 grams with band included, was a major technological and marketing milestone in 2010. This ultra-expensive watch was designed for Rafael Nadal and worn by the great tennis star throughout his matches.

The watch's lightness was a need not just for comfort, but also because a lighter watch proved to be more shock resistant.

The RM 027 developed in 2013 into the RM 27-01, a model inspired by suspended civil engineering facilities, with four braided steel cables measuring 0.35 mm in diameter connecting the movement baseplate to the anthracite-colored carbon casing.

Partnerships have always been an important part of Richard Mille's approach to the market, and they frequently result in the creation of unexpected pieces. Rather of simply serving as testimonies, Richard Mille's partners actively engage in the development process, testing and questioning the timepieces' durability.

Among the others, the RM 053 Tourbillon Pablo Mac Donough introduced in 2013 is surely worth mentioning. This watch was designed for the world's best polo player and features an unusual casing made of microblasted titanium and titanium carbide with a completely unique case design inspired by the tonneau shape and constructed to withstand the intense shocks that can occur during a polo match.

The first Richard Mille aircraft watch was introduced later that year. The RM 039 Tourbillon Flyback Chronograph allowed pilots to clock varied durations in a variety of directions while also displaying the disc of a second time zone.

The RM 056 was introduced in 2012 and received a lot of attention for its entirely transparent sapphire casing. It was a remarkable feat, given the exceedingly difficult process of machining a complicated design like a tonneau case from sapphire.

Richard Mille demonstrated with this model that products may be improved at any time. Richard Mille lifted the bar with its first evolution, the RM 56-01, by adding sapphire to the baseplate, bridges, and third wheel.

The RM 56-02 Sapphire, produced for the 2014 Edition of the Watches & Wonders Exhibition, took things a step further by combining the wire suspended mechanism first developed for the RM 27-01 Rafael Nadal, resulting in a stunning blend of transparency, lightness, and complexity.

A second factory, the ultra-modern ProArt SA, debuted in April 2013 and is dedicated to the manufacturing of Richard Mille watch cases and other components in precious metals, titanium, and composites, such as baseplates, pushers, bridges, and bracelet parts. This building was the first in the Canton of Jura to use geothermal heating and cooling systems, and it was constructed using ecologically friendly materials.

Richard Mille continued to push the bounds of invention in the years after, incorporating unusual and often unheard-of materials as well as innovative manufacturing processes. You may learn more about this by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page.

The Tourbillon RM 27-02 is an example of the never-ending search for new challenges. Rafael Nadal was introduced at the Stade Roland Garros during the 2015 edition of the tennis French Open. This watch featured the first skeletonised unibody baseplate, in which the caseband and baseplate were fused into a single piece, eliminating the need to join the two components: a solution that necessitated a high level of expertise and experience in micro-machining novel materials. This construction, which was inspired by race car chassis, greatly improves stiffness and impact resistance.

The RM 67-01 became the most streamlined model among all tonneau-shaped Richard Mille clocks when it was unveiled at the 2016 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva.

The RM 50-03 McLaren F1, a masterpiece created in conjunction with the renowned McLaren Formula 1 constructor, set a new record as the lightest mechanical chronograph ever constructed in the beginning of 2017. The RM 50-03, which combines a tourbillon with a split seconds chronograph, weighs less than 40 grams with the strap included.

Richard Mille was able to build clocks that have become the ultimate emblem of wealth and success without being showy or dependent on the inherent worth of precious metals or diamonds in a very short period of time since its founding in 2001.

Richard Mille's success is based on the capacity to continuously surprise the market, so we're excited to see what comes next.

(Above picture of Richard Mille)