Usually, timepieces are not hard to differentiate. In fact, these days if you cover the brand name, you might not be able to make a difference among different watches. But there is one brand that always sticks out of the crowd with its unique style and that is Richard Mille. Here are 10 amazing facts about Richard Mille.
Richard Mille, a man and a brand, which manufactures watches that are extremely different from the mainstream companies. Be it aesthetics or craftsmanship, a Richard Mille always stands out. This brand is quite popular among the elites and what makes it that irresistible is what we’ll be discussing today.
Come take a look at 10 amazing facts about Richard Mille
1Youngest in the watch making industry
Amazing, right?! Richard Mille started its career as a luxury brand with the release of RM 001 watch in the year 2001. And guess what, RM 001 was priced at €159,000 which got sold out within the minutes of its release. It is the youngest watch making brand in this industry and still the most sought after. The other brands in horology are as old as 200-300. In fact, Hublot, which is considered a young brand, was born in 1980.
2Best of both worlds
What you get in a Richard Mille watch is best of both worlds. Meaning, this watch carries the elegance of Swiss watches and the high performance of race cars. Richard Mille worked with numerous watchmaking companies before becoming an independent brand. This work experience and his love for race cars resulted in the birth of this brand.
3Incorporating the hard to build tourbillon craftsmanship
Richard Mille incorporates the hard to build tourbillon craftsmanship to its watches. The tourbillon craftsmanship is very complicated and is considered as the pinnacle of craftsmanship. The price of such craftsmanship is very high which is why many well known brands do not incorporate it. And that’s exactly what Richard Mille – incorporating the extraordinary!
4The unique tonneau-shaped case
You can easily spot a Richard Mille because of its unique case design. While other famous brands opt for minimal designed cases Richard Mille on the other hand comes with a tonneau-shaped (barrel) case. This unique case design is one of the most expensive and difficult to manufacture. This design involves three components – all curved which are then fit together to within 100th of a millimeter to stop dust or moisture entering.
5Use of high-tech material in baseplates
When you think of a Richard Mille you can’t just expect baseplates made up of standard materials. A Richard Mille baseplate is made up of materials which are used in making Formula 1 cars, racing yachts and airplanes. These materials include – Carbon nanotubes, NTPT carbon, silicon nitride, perfluoroelastomer, toughened ceramic, etc.
6High-end material coating for watch movement parts
As baseplates are made up of high-tech materials then how can the inside movements be made of basic materials? Therefore, the watch movement parts of a Richard Mille are made up of high-end materials. The parts are usually a hybrid of titanium with other materials which are coated in PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) or Titalyt. These are then perfected by the micro engineers and the dedicated team of watchmakers of Mille.
7Owning a Richard Mille is like buying a miniature sports car
This is exactly what Mille wanted the owners of a Richard Mille must feel like. The idea behind launching this brand was that he wanted people to recognize a Richard Mille from a distance. He wanted people to have their minds blown by looking at this watch. And his best inspiration was a Formula 1 car so that people can have a feel of a sports car on their wrists.
8Limited annual production
These avant-garde Richard Mille watches are very limited editions. Only 5,000 or fewer watches are produced only which get sold out the minute they are launched. Undoubtedly, each year the demand for Richard Mille outstrips the production. The lovers of this luxurious brand are so many that these constantly remain in high demand.
9The price goes up to millions
You know what makes Richard Mille the most sought after brand? Apart from unique design, well built machinery and use of high-tech materials, one more thing that add to its popularity is its price. The price range of a Richard Mille starts from $82,000 and goes up to $2 million. The RM 56-02 Sapphire comes with a hefty price of $2 million. It is the brand’s first sapphire-cased watch and definitely the most expensive one.
10Brand ambassadors like Rafael Nadal, Margot Robbie
Richard Mille has an array of famous athlete and celebrity brand ambassadors. This list of brand ambassadors include Rafael Nadal, Felippe Massa, Ed Sheeran, Kanye West, Natalie Portman, Margot Robbie and so on. These ambassadors are not there just to wear a Richard Mille but also help in doing real-life crash tests. These crash tests ensure whether these watches can withstand a golfer’s swing or an F1 car wheel vibrations.
