History

In 2001, the world of watchmaking made the discovery of a new brand.

2001

The first Richard Mille timepiece is introduced, the RM 001 Tourbillon, in an initial series of 17 watches. This is followed by the tourbillon RM 002, an evolution of the RM 001, enhanced with two features making their world debut: a movement baseplate in titanium, and a function indicator with winding, neutral and hand-setting positions.

'For a long time, I wished to launch my own brand. I wanted to create a new business model, far removed from traditional marketing strategies, something totally original. My goal was to create a new, ultra-high-end luxury segment within the high-end watch business, and I was very eager to know what could come of it.'

RICHARD MILLE

THE FRUITION OF DECADES OF EXPERIENCE

For Richard Mille, this was not an impulsive decision quickly taken; it was the direct fruition of decades of experience gained by guiding diverse wristwatch and elite jewelry brands in the creation, management and development of a myriad of high profile projects. This deep fascination for technology, his expertise and personal passion for racing cars combined with his extreme sensitivity to design and ergonomics, meant that no watch in existence at the time could ever really meet his expectations.

A VISION OF THE LUXURY WATCH MARKET

At the age of fifty, Richard Mille decided to create his own brand, with the idea of pushing watchmaking beyond anything that existed at the time, with a new contemporary approach to horology. He was planning to develop one product: the watch of his dreams, an approach that involved operating with little regard for production costs, which were excessive.

When released in 2001, this extraordinary timepiece with its ergonomic tonneau case design punctuated with distinctive torque screws and a compelling six-digit price tag, immediately placed the fledgling brand at the highest summit of the entire luxury watch market.

'With Dominique Guenat and the best experts of Swiss watchmaking who were not frightened by the challenging ideas to introduce to the world, we set to work in the realisation of the very first design, the RM 001.'

RICHARD MILLE

DOMINIQUE GUENAT, THE PARTNER

Richard Mille joined forces with his good friend Dominique Guenat, owner of Guenat SA Montres Valgine, to make his dream comes true. It was in 1988 that Dominique Guenat and Richard Mille first met, while the latter was Head of Watchmaking and CEO of Jewellery at Mauboussin, in relation to making watches. Although based on a professional relationship, the two men quickly struck up a great friendship that was strengthened by their shared passion for automobiles, aeronautics and all things mechanical.

A SUCCESSFUL FORMULA

Those clients who understood the uncompromising quality of such a visionary product, predestined this first creation to become an unequivocal success. Today, 20 years later, the Richard Mille watch collection now comprises more than eighty models, each designed and produced with the same passion and uncompromising principles that guided Richard Mille’s first creation.

2002 Richard Mille introduces the tourbillon RM 003 with dual time zone and becomes a major participant in the 1st edition of the Le Mans Classic, an exceptional retrospective of the iconic 24-Hour race.

2003 The RM 004 Split Seconds Chronograph makes its first appearance. It took more than five years of development to perfect this model. Rather than the old method of using a column wheel that was stopped and started using a system of levers that would interact with the column wheel, the brand went after an innovation in the way the rattrapante worked by doing a ‘pincer’ made of titanium, in which both arms work simultaneously, in order to ‘grab’ the split seconds gear in a single swift movement.

2004 Launch of the highly complex RM 008 Tourbillon Split Seconds Chronograph. Richard Mille enhances the collection with the RM 005 Automatic with a date, and the first of the ultra-light tourbillon timepieces, the RM 006 developped with the first partner to join the RM family, Felipe Massa.

2005 Richard Mille launches its first ladies’ watches, the RM 007 Automatic and an experimental model limited to 25 pieces, the RM 009 Tourbillon Felipe Massa, crafted of ALUSIC®, a material used in space exploration.

The first Richard Mille boutique opens in Hong Kong.

2006 Richard Mille enters the universe of great yachts and leading skippers. The partnership with Perini Navi, world leader in luxury yacht manufacturing, gives birth to the RM 014 Tourbillon Perini Navi.

The RM 012 Tourbillon is released, an extremely complex watch in its realisation, exhibiting perfect visual harmony with its architectural, tubular design, minimalist structure and impressive lines.

2007 The brand, new member of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, presents the RM 016. With its extra-flat, rectangular case, it becomes the first watch of the collection to depart from the iconic Richard Mille tonneau shape.

The now emblematic RM 011 Flyback Chronograph Felipe Massa is introduced.

Richard Mille wins the prestigious Aiguille d’Or at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève for the RM 012 Tourbillon.

2008 Richard Mille introduces two exceptional novelties with the RM 020 Tourbillon Pocket Watch and the RM 018 Tourbillon Boucheron which boasts movement wheels made of precious and ornemental stones.

A special version of the RM 011, the Le Mans Classic Limited Edition issued in 150 pieces, is presented for the 4th edition of the historic race.

2009 A year remarkable for the introduction of numerous new models, including the brand’s first diving watch, and the first round case of the collection— the RM 025 Tourbillon Chronograph—as well as the ladies’ jewellery tourbillon RM 019 and the RM 023 Automatic.

2010 Richard Mille participates for the first time in the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) and few months later, introduces the RM 027 Tourbillon, which the new partner Rafael Nadal wears on his wrist at Roland Garros.

Michelle Yeoh becomes the first woman to join the Richard Mille family and the brand becomes the main partner in the first edition of Les Voiles de St. Barth.

2011 Introduction of the RM 017, Richard Mille’s first extraflat tourbillon with a rectangular case.

Extension of the warranty from 3 to 5 years (the RM '3 + 2' system).

Golfer Bubba Watson and the polo player Pablo Mac Donough join the rank of RM partners.

2012 The RM 031 High Performance is among the most accurate in the world today with its exceptional performance, less than 30 sec per month of chronometric variation.

The first tonneau-shaped watch in the world with a case made of solid sapphire is presented, the RM 056.

With the presentation of the RM 039 Aviation Chronograph, the brand enters the world of aviation for the first time. This watch is also one of the most complex in haute horlogerie today, comprising more than 1,000 components.

Partnership with the Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake is announced.

2013 In the increasing challenge of technological lightness, the RM 27-01 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal becomes the lightest tourbillon in the world, weighing less than 18,83 grams including the strap.

The Italian golfer Diana Luna becomes the first woman sports partner and the driver Sébastien Loeb joins the Richard Mille family.

2014 A year dedicated to the feminine realm within the collection and proclaimed to be Richard Mille’s ‘Year of the Woman’ with the introduction of the RM 07-01 and RM 037 in-house automatic calibres, its first precious metal strap, the RM 19-01 Tourbillon and the RM 51-01 Tourbillon Michelle Yeoh.

Two new sports partners join the RM Family, the French skier Alexis Pinturault and the American golfer Cristie Kerr.

First edition of Chantilly Arts & Élégance Richard Mille.

2015 The RM 19-02 Tourbillon Fleur, first automaton watch and flying tourbillon of the brand, is released at the SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie).

A few months later, the RM 27-02 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal demonstrates the first unibody baseplate.

In September, Richard Mille introduces the RM 69 Tourbillon Erotic and the RM 26-02 Tourbillon Evil Eye.

2016 2016 marks the entrance of many new partners : Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ), Haas F1 and Mclaren F1 Teams, German dressage rider Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and WRC champion Sébastien Ogier.

Richard Mille reveals the tourbillon RM 50-02 ACJ, the RM 67-01 Automatic Extra-flat with an in-house movement, a mechanical fountain pen.

The RM 68-01 Tourbillon Cyril Kongo is the first collaboration of the brand with a street artist in creating a contemporary horological artwork.

The next generation of the emblematic RM 011, the RM 11-03 is launched at Chantilly Arts & Élégance Richard Mille.

2017 Richard Mille presents the RM 50-03 Tourbillon McLaren F1, produced in collaboration with the famed Formula 1 team. With this watch, Richard Mille introduces an entirely new material into the world of watchmaking: Graph TPT®, a high-tech composite incorporating graphene.

French IndyCar driver Simon Pagenaud joins the Richard Mille family.

10.000g's shock resistant : The RM 27-03 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal results in a new milestone.

2018 The RM 53-01 Tourbillon Pablo Mac Donough, second polo watch, introduces the first laminated sapphire glass in watchmaking.

Richard Mille officially announces its partnership with McLaren Automotive during the Geneva Motor show, presenting the RM 11-03 McLaren.

Creation of the Richard Mille Young Talent Academy, a true operation for the detection of young talents while creating a real bridge between karting and cars.

Presentation of the first automatic in-house tourbillon movement with the ladies' watch the RM 71-01 Tourbillon Talisman.

2019 The Richard Mille Bonbon Collection, a rebellious collection in acid-bright colours, is released for its last SIHH.

The new RM 62-01 ACJ features a vibrating alarm, an all-new grand complication taking functionality and performance to new limits.

The 2019 Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix was the perfect occasion for Richard Mille to present the RM 50-04 Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph. On the other side of the world, in Miami, the RM 52-05 Pharrell Williams is released.

Presentation of our first In-house tourbillon calibre, the RM 71-01 Talisman.

2020 The first in-house flyback chronograph of Richard Mille, the RM 72-01, is released. The RM 65-01, another chronograph is revealed few months later. This split seconds chronograph is the most complicated automatic calibre produced by Richard Mille.

For Roland Garros 2020, the Brand introduced its most shock resistant watch, the RM 27-04 Rafael Nadal

Four new partners join the RM family: the composer Thomas Roussel, retired football player Didier Drogba, Indycar driver Scott Dixon and high jumping champion Yulia Levchenko .

2021 The RM 40-01 Automatic Tourbillon Speedtail is the most extreme watch ever made at Richard Mille matched to a specific hypercar design of the fastest road-going car McLaren has ever built.

Free diver Arnaud Jerald, show jumping champions Carlos Hank and Flore Giraud and the UAE cycling team complete the list of the brand's partners.

Announcement of the partnership with Ferrari and our pre-owned watch distribution network covering all major markets.