History of Richard Mille – One of the Most Luxury Watch Brand

The history of the multimillion-dollar watch brand Richard Mille is not widely known, let’s explore it with Thế Giới Đồng Hồ Đẹp!

In 2001, Richard Mille introduced his first watch, creating a new trend in watchmaking. The genesis of his business venture was a bold vision: to incorporate techniques and materials used in the most creative fields, such as Formula 1 racing cars or airplanes, into watches.

From the outset, Richard Mille watches were born from a process of experimentation with high-tech materials and special designs aimed at reinforcing the idea of performance. In fact, one of the brand’s early slogans was “A racing machine on the wrist.”

However, Richard Mille also demonstrated respect for Switzerland’s fine watchmaking tradition, creating extremely complex mechanical movements assembled and finished by hand.

Born in Draguignan, France, in 1951, Richard began his career in the watchmaking industry in 1974 and held management roles in various watch brands. In the early 1990s, he was the CEO (and shareholder) of the watch division of the famous French jewelry house, Mauboussin.

During this time, Richard Mille met Giulio Papi, one of the most talented watchmakers of our time and the Director of Research and Development at Audemars Piguet Renaud et Papi (APR&P), the high-end watchmaking department of Audemars Piguet.

In 1999, Richard Mille decided to establish his own luxury watch brand with the goal of breaking traditional rules associated with high-end watches, often associated with baroque styles and precious materials such as gold and platinum.

His extensive experience and industry connections helped him establish positive collaborations with some of the best movement and component manufacturers in Switzerland.

The mainstay of the brand – Horometrie SA – was established in 2001 by Richard Mille and Dominique Guenat, headquartered in Les Breuleux, a small village at an altitude of 1,038 meters (3,406 ft) above sea level in northwestern Switzerland, in the Jura canton, not far from the renowned watchmaking centers La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle.

Audemars Piguet also participated in the project as a minority shareholder. From the outset, Audemars Piguet Renaud et Papi served as a technology partner to develop most of the complex movements in Richard Mille’s collection, including tourbillons and split-seconds chronographs.

The Horometrie factory in Les Breuleux

The first watch was far from simple. In fact, the Richard Mille RM 001 was a tourbillon model, one of the most prestigious feats in watchmaking, with only 17 pieces produced.

The RM 001 was followed by the RM 002, its predecessor’s development with the addition of a torque indicator, and the RM 003 also featuring a second time zone.

In 2003, the RM 004 chronograph split seconds was a natural development for a brand with a sports DNA and was the first product in a long series of high-performance chronograph watches.

RM 004 in titanium and (below) in red gold

The RM 006 was the first watch with a carbon fiber baseplate. Carbon fiber had revolutionized the aerospace and automotive industries for its qualities: strength, rigidity, lightness, and high resistance to expansion and contraction with temperature changes. Its dark appearance was a big plus for Richard Mille, who wanted a black baseplate for this watch model. On the other hand, manufacturing such a baseplate was extremely difficult and costly due to its extreme hardness and precision required for watchmaking.

2004 marked the introduction of several models including the special RM 008, combining all the features of the RM 004 chronograph with the addition of a tourbillon, a combination representative of the brand’s first. The model also featured torque indicators and power reserve.

The following year, Richard Mille introduced the brand’s first watches for ladies, RM 007 and RM 009, a test model in ALUSIC, a material commonly used in satellite and space station construction.

In 2006, the RM 012, a tourbillon with a tubular architecture, minimalist structure, and extremely complex construction, was introduced. Produced in a limited edition of 30 pieces in platinum, this watch aimed to revolutionize the traditional concept of the dial, on which positioning wheels are replaced by tubes to create a reliable and efficient three-dimensional architectural ensemble, but extremely light and airborne.

The RM 012 is the watch that won the prestigious “Aiguille d’Or” award – the watchmaking equivalent of the Oscars – at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2007.

With the RM 011 Felipe Massa Flyback Chronograph, Richard Mille created the most successful chronograph watch of the brand, over the years, it would be produced in various developed forms in collaboration with other sports figures like Roberto Mancini and Jean Todt.

Felipe Massa with the RM 011 Flyback Chronograph That same year, a new case shape emerged with the flat and rectangular RM 016, available in various materials, including a titanium version with Titalyt, a processing method using plasma discharge to increase the metal’s hardness by creating a ceramic oxide layer.

With the RM 020 Tourbillon, Richard Mille brought a revival of classic pocket watches, a declaration of love for the traditional craft of watchmaking.

In 2009, the birth of the RM 019, a tourbillon for ladies, was Richard Mille’s response to the increasing interest of women in complex watches. Over the years, the brand has developed a rich collection of watches for women, now accounting for about 25% of the brand’s total sales.

The first round watch produced by the brand was the RM 025 Tourbillon Chronograph “Diver’s Watch”. Set in a three-sided case of titanium and rose gold, this watch is waterproof up to 300 meters / 1000 feet, a depth that can only be achieved with a round shape.

Richard Mille continues to demonstrate its exceptional creative vitality by presenting several new products each year. An important milestone, both technically and commercially, came in 2010 with the announcement of the RM 027 tourbillon, the world’s lightest mechanical wristwatch at only 19 grams, including the strap. Created for Rafael Nadal, this ultra-expensive watch has been worn by the famous tennis player during his matches.

The lightness of the watch is a requirement not only for comfort but also because a lighter watch has been proven to have better shock resistance.

The RM 027 was developed in 2013 under the name RM 27-01, a model inspired by civil engineering infrastructure suspended, where the moving base plate is attached to an anthracite carbon case by four braided steel cables with a diameter of only 0.35 mm.

Designed to withstand extreme shocks and tested in the field by Rafa Nadal (below): RM 27-01

Partnership relations are always an important aspect of Richard Mille’s market approach and often lead to the development of surprising pieces. Not just mere endorsements, Richard Mille’s partners truly engage in the development phase by testing and challenging the reliability of the watches.

Among the others, RM 053 Tourbillon Pablo Mac Donough introduced in 2013 is certainly worth mentioning. Created for the world’s number one Polo player, this watch is characterized by a unique case made of titanium and micro-blasted titanium carbide with a completely new case design inspired by the shape of the Tonneau and designed to withstand the extreme shocks that can occur in a Polo match.

RM 053 Tourbillon and below is Polo champion Pablo Mac Donough

Towards the end of that year, Richard Mille’s first aviation watch appeared. The RM 039 Tourbillon Flyback Chronograph provides pilots with the ability to continuously time different periods in multiple directions along with a second time zone disc.

Introduced in 2012, the RM 056 made waves thanks to its entirely transparent case made of pure sapphire. It was a particularly remarkable achievement considering the extremely difficult process required to machine complex-shaped sapphire like a tonneau case.

With this model, Richard Mille demonstrated a clear testament that products can always be perfected. In fact, with its first development, the RM 56-01, Richard Mille raised the bar by adding a third sapphire baseplate, bridge, and wheel.

The RM 56-02 Sapphire, created for the Watches & Wonders Exhibition in 2014, went even further by combining a cable-suspended movement originally developed for the RM 27-01 Rafael Nadal and creating a spectacular combination of transparency, lightness, and complexity.

The second factory, ProArt SA, extremely modern, was inaugurated in April 2013 and specializes in producing Richard Mille watch cases and other components, including bases, pushers, bridges, and metal, titanium, and synthetic strap components. Built with eco-friendly materials, this building is the first in the Canton of Jura to use geothermal cooling and heating systems.

Discover: The Colection of Top Quality Replica Richard Mille Available

In the following years, Richard Mille continued to push the boundaries of innovation by introducing unique and often unprecedented materials and manufacturing methods. You can read more about this in the link at the end of the article.

An example of the continuous pursuit of new challenges is the Tourbillon RM 27-02 Rafael Nadal introduced on the occasion of the 2015 French Open at Stade Roland Garros. This watch features the first monolithic baseplate cast frame where the strap and baseplate are integrated into a single piece, eliminating the need to attach two components together: a solution that requires knowledge and expertise in micro machining of new materials. Inspired by the chassis of racing cars, this structure significantly enhances stiffness and resistance to impacts.

Displayed at the 2016 edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva, the RM 67-01 became the most beautiful watch among all Richard Mille watches with a Tonneau shape.

A particularly remarkable achievement came in early 2017 with the RM 50-03 McLaren F1, a masterpiece produced in collaboration with the renowned McLaren Formula 1 constructor, which established a special record as the lightest mechanical chronograph ever created. Combining a tourbillon with a split-seconds chronograph, the RM 50-03 weighs less than 40 grams, including the strap.

At the end of 2020, after 5 years of development, Richard Mille introduced the RM 65-01 Automatic Split Seconds Chronograph, a self-winding split-seconds chronograph that became the most complex watch ever to leave the Richard Mille workshop. To ensure the chronograph’s accuracy to 1/10th of a second, this model is powered by a high-frequency balance with an inertia variable frequency of 5 Hz (36,000 vibrations per hour).

The brand’s attention to the feminine universe was once again recognized by expanding the highly successful RM 07-01 line with the Colored Ceramics collection, new colorful models with ceramic cases, multi-material guilloché dials, and modern mechanical movements.

In a relatively short period since its establishment in 2001, Richard Mille has been able to create watches that have become the ultimate symbols of wealth and success without the need for gloss or reliance on the intrinsic value of precious metals or gemstones.

Established based on three important factors – the best in technical innovation, the best in art and architecture, the best of watchmaking heritage and culture – Richard Mille’s success is also due to its ability to continue surprising the market, so we are certainly excited to see what’s next.

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