Richard Mille: Technical Brilliance and the Birth of a Billionaire’s Watch Myth
Introduction Richard Mille, founded in 2001, has redefined modern haute horlogerie. The brand’s slogan— “A racing machine on the wrist” —is no empty tagline; it reflects Mille’s obsession with merging cutting-edge engineering, avant-garde materials, and m...
Bill, your reports are super-human!
My favorite RM! And the first RM I met at a WPS GTG back in 2007! Thank you Bill for the great memories! Your reports are so well organized, objectively factual, and analytical! They should model AI to write reports like yours!
A polarizing brand, but....
One I've always liked despite there being many pieces I am not drawn to at all. The 67-01 and the Nadal watches are, in my opinion, the most desirable of his oeuvre, and the manner in which he managed to create and then establish the company is truly admi...
Another Great Guide Bill 😊👍, to add Richard Mille at Renaud & Papi
Pictures were taken in the Fall of 2006 ...
Witchcraft from every point of view.
Tasteful or not, hyped or not, the brand definitely carved its name in the horological books… Great post, and very informative. Thank you!
The brand that broke the back of the Mille Miglia line IMHO
One can debate some aspects of the watches or of the positioning for sure but as you said it became a wonderfully effective Veblenian signaling piece relatively quickly. And in my humble opinion did more than any other watch / brand in supplanting watches...
Thank you Bill
For this detailed and informative post regarding this brand. I’ll preface my reply by saying I’ve never been a fan, nor do I expect I ever will be. I do respect the craftsmanship, however it’s as attractive to me as an EV car. There’s no soul, just an inc...
Great summary!
Except, let's not push that pricing error story that's completely detached from reality ... Early Richard Mille tourbillions and chronographs were made at Renaud & Papi, and even if pricing was aggressive it was not out of line relative to similar pieces ...
Excellently presented and informative post 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
I was not aware of the debated pricing “error”, which is intriguing to consider as even possibly true! I understand how RM distinguishes itself from, but I wonder why a brand like Greubel Forsey has not been recognized for its technical prowess and design...
Agree
I also wonder why GF is not nearly as successful. And the answer, IMHO, is that "build it and they come" doesn't really work, at least not in the past 15-20 years. The one really has to excel in marketing...
I've never heard this myth before, thanks for sharing. Obviously not true.
The RM-001 wasn't even that expensive compared to the very similar AP CW-1 which was about twice the price.
Having never been interested in this brand, I learned a lot here.
Thanks a lot, Bill. Still not a brand for me, but I understand better its history and appeal. Best, Emmanuel
The Sylvester Stallone RM 25-01 limited to 20 pieces is described as having a hidden compartment for water purification tablets.
Photo courtesy of Timepiece Trading. ...
So correct.
NTPT carbon was developed by North Thin Ply Technology and licensed to Richard Mille for watch cases. The RM 011 uses the RMAC1 movement, which is a Vaucher base caliber with a Dubois-Dépraz flyback chronograph and annual calendar module.