5 reasons collectors love Richard Mille

In the world of Swiss watchmaking, tradition often rules the day. Brands such as Patek Philippe and Rolex are generally viewed as the kings of the mountain, both at retail and at auction, yet since the turn of the millennium, a new breed has been shaking up the established order. At this movement’s forefront is Richard Mille, which makes futuristic timepieces regarded in many quarters as the ultimate expression of technical accomplishment.

Richard Mille established his eponymous brand in 1999 with the backing of Audemars Piguet and its legendary development company, Renaud et Papi. The mission was to push high-end, handmade watchmaking to the very limits of technical innovation.

Two years later, the Richard Mille RM001 was launched, featuring no diamonds or precious stones — just exceptional engineering. The price tag? A cool €159,000. The entire production run of 80 units sold out almost immediately.

In September 2018, the first Horology Forum ever held in London examined the state of the watch industry. One of the hottest topics among high-end buyers was their desire to own a Richard Mille watch. Asked why, the best watchmakers in the business pointed directly to the quality of the movements.

The prototype RM056, which sold for $1.2 million at Christie’s in 2017, contains probably the most complicated movement to have appeared in a Richard Mille watch at the time — one that it shares with the earlier RM008, which was the first reference to pair a split-seconds chronograph with a tourbillon mechanism.

A Richard Mille watch is instantly recognisable, even from a distance, by its size and shape. Inspired by automotive design, the aesthetic is unapologetically bold — and, according to Forbes magazine, acquiring a Richard Mille watch is the equivalent of ‘buying a miniature sports car for the wrist’. As Mille himself has said, ‘I want people who see my watches to go, “Wow!”’

Fewer than 5,000 Richard Mille watches are made annually. For a young brand, that is a relatively high number of pieces, yet demand for the watches consistently outstrips production. Strong prices at auction continue to reflect this trend.

The RM27-01 is an exceedingly rare example, weighing just 18.83 grams. The movement appears suspended on steel braided cables just 0.35mm thick inside the case, like an engine in the chassis of a supercar. It was developed with the tennis champion Rafael Nadal as a watch he could wear during matches. The Spaniard broke five prototypes before the design was finalised.

This white version, which was released around 2019 in a limited edition of just five, has never appeared at auction before.

When you try on a Richard Mille RM UP-01 TI, the first thing you notice is how slim it is. At just 1.75mm, it’s one of the world’s thinnest watches. It was designed over the course of 6,000 hours, and at a cost of €2 million, in conjunction with Ferrari. Embodying the philosophy of Formula One car development, it’s made from grade 5 titanium and is barely noticeable on the wrist — yet it can withstand an impressive 5,000G of force.

Nicknamed the ‘billionaire’s handshake’, Richard Mille watches adorn wrists within the most exclusive circles. The brand reinforces this message by partnering with sports star ambassadors, such as Felipe Massa, the former Formula One driver.

Mille developed the RM006 tourbillon for Massa in 2004. Massa was wearing the model when his car crashed into a tyre barrier ahead of the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix. The Brazilian driver suffered serious injuries; the watch emerged unscathed.

In addition, American golfer Bubba Watson wore a Richard Mille while winning the 2012 Masters tournament at Augusta National, and the Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake wore a watch in green, gold and black during the 2012 Olympic Games in London.