Richard Mille

Richard Mille is a French watch manufacturer, one of the few remaining independent brands.

Anyone who wants to deal with trendy brands of today cannot ignore Richard Mille. His products are located in the upper price segment and offer excellence of Haute Horlogerie in contemporary design.

After a preparatory period of three years Richard Mille in 2001 presented his first luxury watch the Richard Mille RM 001. Since then the brand again and again caused a stir with their futuristic creations. Meanwhile, each new model is expected by the relevant experts in the world of watches with highest attention and examined intensively after appearance.

Richard Mille is born on 13 February 1951 in Draguignan, France. He studies marketing in Besançon and resides in England for a year to learn the language.

In 1974 Richard Mille works for the watch factory Anguenot near [Besançon]], where he is responsible for the distribution of watches to Latin American. In 1981 the company is taken over by the aircraft and automobile manufacturers Matra. Mille becomes director of Matra's watch department.

In 1992 Richard Mille, together with the Parisian jeweler Alain Mauboussin, founds a watch company, which produces jewelery and sports watches with complications. As a result a collaboration with the watch engineer Giulio Papi from Renault & Papi happens.

After leaving Mauboussin in 1999, he moves to the preparation of a watch production on the basis of completely own ideas. With support from Papi in 2001, he launchs the first wristwatch of his own the RM 001, a tourbillon. It is followed by the RM 002 and in 2002 by the tourbillon model RM 003, this time with dual time-zone.

In 2003 the double chronograph RM 004 Split Seconds is presented. In 2004 the automatic watch RM 005, the experimental tourbillon model RM 006 and the tourbillon-double chronograph RM 008 are published. 2005 follows with the RM 007 the first ladies watch and then the experimental model RM 009, where the material ALUSIC (acronym for aluminum-silicon carbide) is used, which has been developed for space.

In 2006 in partnership with the yacht builder Perini Navi the RM 014 Perini Navi Cup is launched. Also in 2006, the RM 012 is presented a spectacular tourbillon model in platinum, which baffles with its transparent, tubular movement construction and its high watchmaking complexity. In 2007 this watch is awarded at the prestigious Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève with the main prize, the “L'aiguille d'Or” (“Golden Hand”).

In 2007 Richard Mille joins the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH). The elegant RM 016 with extra flat, rectangular case is presented, and also the RM 011 Felipe Massa Flyback Chronograph with annual calendar as well as the RM 015 Perini Navi Cup with dual time zone.

In 2008 Richard Mille presents the pocket watch RM 020 with tourbillon. With this model the new type of material nano carbon fiber comes to serial production, which had been successfully tested for the first time in the experimental model RM 006. Furthermore, the RM 018 "Hommage à Boucheron" is launched, where numerous precious and semiprecious stones are incorporated into the gear train in a unique way.

In 2017, Richard Mille received the prestigious Prix Gaïa Esprit d'Entreprise award.

Main source of inspiration for Richard Mille is the technical world of car racing and Formula 1. The majority of the models provide tonneau-shaped cases with transparent backs, skeletonized dials and a total of futuristic and technological feel. In addition to extensive new complications, unusual materials are used. The best and latest from the front line of watches development, so could be summarized the motto under which the watches are created here.

In the beginning the reaction to Richard Mille's watch style had sometimes been frowning and even rejection. But over the last few years it has evolved that his approach has been proactive and that the world of watches has been influenced by him more than most had expected. In the meantime, with manufacturers like MB&F, Greubel Forsey, DeWitt, Hysek, HD3 Complication, Cvstos, Urwerk, Vianney Halter, Hautlence and many others, a young, new generation of watch creators has evolved, which invents watches in the same fearless, uncompromising nature and that shatters all taboos of old traditional design.

Richard Mille Europe, Middle East and Africa Ltd.
London, UK
Tel. +44 (0)20 8789 2389
Fax +44 (0)20 8789 2360
contact@richardmille.com

• Richard Mille (official site)