Richard Mille
- Founded
- 2001
- Based in
- Les Breuleux, Switzerland
- In our catalog
- 4 watches from $140,000 to $1,100,000
Richard Mille makes watches the way a Formula 1 team builds a car: light, technical and enormously expensive. Its tonneau-shaped cases, skeletonized movements and space-age materials are instantly recognizable, and the brand has become a status symbol for athletes, musicians and the very rich.
History
Richard Mille worked in watch and jewelry marketing, including at Mauboussin, before launching his own brand in 2001 with the RM 001, a tourbillon. He worked closely with Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi, AP's complication workshop, and the brand is based in Les Breuleux in the Jura. Audemars Piguet holds a stake in the company.
The brand's breakthrough came in 2010, when Rafael Nadal wore a featherweight tourbillon on court. Richard Mille has since built watches for many athletes, often designed to survive the shocks of their sport, and sponsors motor sport, sailing and golf. It makes around 5,000 watches a year.
Signature models
- RM 67-01 Extra Flat: A thin, everyday Richard Mille with an automatic movement.
- RM 11-03 Flyback Chronograph: An automatic chronograph with an annual calendar, one of the brand's core models.
- RM 35-02 Rafael Nadal: A light automatic watch designed with Nadal.
- RM 27-04 Rafael Nadal: A tourbillon so light and shock-resistant that Nadal wore it during matches, with a movement suspended on a steel cable.
What it's known for
Richard Mille uses carbon composites, titanium and ceramics, and designs movements for extreme conditions. Its watches are very comfortable for their size, and very expensive.
Price and positioning
Richard Mille watches cost from about $140,000 to well over $1 million, and on the secondary market many models trade above retail. There's nothing else quite like it at this level, though AP's Royal Oak Concept and the top independents are the watches the same buyers consider.
Richard Mille watches in our library
- Richard Mille RM 67-01 Extra Flat ($140,000 to $160,000)
- Richard Mille RM 11-03 Flyback Chronograph ($180,000 to $260,000)
- Richard Mille RM 35-02 Rafael Nadal ($200,000 to $240,000)
- Richard Mille RM 27-04 Rafael Nadal ($1,050,000 to $1,100,000)