Richard Mille and Ferrari values have resulted in an unrivaled partnership that highlights the technology, know-how, cutting-edge expertise, and passion that lead to true global excellence in their respective fields.
Luxury, quality, and excellence are the goals of many brands, but few achieve the status and recognition they desire. Richard Mille is a Swiss luxury watch company founded in 2001 and based in Les Breuleux, Switzerland, which has undoubtedly succeeded in making its timepieces precious works of art that unquestionably achieved excellence.
Richard Mille created his own watch brand with the aim of elevating watchmaking to a new dimension by taking a contemporary approach. His idea was to develop a special product: the watch of his dreams. Together with Dominique Guenat and the best experts in the Swiss watch industry, he began to create the exclusive watch brand that so many people desire today.
Much of Richard Mille’s inspiration comes from racing cars and the study of shock resistance, the specific applications of which have made it possible to improve the rigidity of the baseplate, reduce friction and endow the watches with very high shock resistance. Concepts and materials inspired by Formula 1 are of great importance to the brand, even making it its hallmark.
The brand focused on making extremely light and precise watches by resorting to the best high-tech materials used in aeronautics, Formula 1, and precision surgery, such as grade 5 titanium, LITAL, TPT carbon, and graphene. Thus, in one of its most emblematic models, the RM 002, ARCAP, a material renowned for its physical qualities such as resistance to corrosion and magnetic fields, was used for the first time in the history of watchmaking.
That is why the exclusive watch brand decided to enter into a collaboration with the car racing team that represents luxury and quality, Ferrari.
Mr. Mille said that the collaboration is a fantastic opportunity to integrate the myriad developments of both brands into the heart of its watches, thanks to the involvement of Ferrari’s designers and engineers. His entire team is delighted with the collaboration with Ferrari and committed to creating a strong and passionate partnership.
A multi-year agreement ranging from the famous Formula 1 championship to the WEC endurance programs, the GT Competizioni, the Ferrari Challenge, and the Ferrari Driver Academy, as well as the rapidly developing e-sports category.
The Swiss luxury watch manufacturer’s brand will be featured on the team’s cars and on the equipment of Sainz and Charles Leclerc, two globally recognized faces in the world of motorsport.
Concerning Charles Leclerc, he has a great history with the watch brand that spans more than a decade. The iconic watch brand has supported the Monégasque driver since his early days and has launched a new timepiece, tailor-made for Charles Leclerc, called the “Richard Mille RM 67-02 Charles Leclerc Prototype”.
It is the brand’s first Ferrari-inspired watch with the driver as its inspiration. The Formula 1 racing inspiration is combined with lightweight materials such as grade 5 titanium to ensure the necessary strength to withstand any impact. The skeletonized dial allows a close-up view of the inner workings of Richard Mille’s intricate movement technology. The RM 67-02 features a white case made of Carbon TPT and Quartz TPT, weighing just 32 grams. The lightest automatic watch in history, it is fitted with the lightest elastic strap ever made. This allows the Monégasque to show off the brand’s prowess when he waves his hands from the podium.
The RM 67-02 is powered by an in-house self-winding movement, the Calibre CRMA7, with an impressive 50-hour power reserve. Transparency continues on the case back, where a secondary view of the white gold rotor is shown, along with the engravings on the outer case with the legend “Charles Leclerc”. The Richard Mille RM 67-02 Charles Leclerc is available now through an authorized retailer.
The team’s other driver, Spaniard Carlos Sainz, also enjoys the RM-02 on and off the track, a clear homage to the team colors that Sainz shares with Charles Leclerc. But he seems to have preferred the RM 11-03 Automatic Flyback Chronograph with its red strap and barrel-shaped bezel, a Swiss classic, in 18-carat gold, which is very reminiscent of the Ferrari colors.
However, beyond this homage, the engineering hidden inside this Carlos Sainz model is, like all the firm’s models, incredibly Swiss. The fact is that this example highlights the prowess of Haute Horlogerie by incorporating an automatic movement in skeleton format, a flyback chronograph, which allows the counter to be reset to zero without having to stop it completely, and a 60-minute timer.
Both brands have demonstrated their superiority in their respective fields. The way they unite the world of watchmaking with the glamour that surrounds Formula 1 will leave fans of both worlds breathless.
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