| WATCH YOUR TIME
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F O C U S
CHARLES LECLERC & LEWIS HAMILTON
It simply had to happen. When Richard
Mille, the brand that was born out of F1,
announced that it was teaming up with
Ferrari, the single most storied name in
motorsport, the only surprise was that
it hadn’t happened sooner. The wafer-
thin RM UP-01 Ferrari that followed was
the ultimate expression of what happens
when motorsport meets watchmaking.
Now there’s a challenger in the shape of
the RM 43-01 Ferrari.
From its inception as a brand, F1 thinking has infused
everything that Richard Mille does.
The brand’s debut watch, the 2001 RM 001 set out the
parameters for all to see: integrated cases and move-
ments, nothing superfluous, every component re-im-
agined, everything visible. The tangible result was an
exceptionally lightweight and shock-resistant move-
ment that pushed performance to the limit. And from
RM 001 with its titanium baseplate on, Richard Mille has
pioneered the introduction of high-performance mate-
rials and techniques borrowed from both aerospace
and motorsport, including carbon nanofibres, ALUSIC®,
aluminium-lithium, Anticorodal 100, Phynox, Carbon
TPT® and graphene.
The real shock of The RM 001 was that it was an
extreme sport watch with a tourbillon – a combina-
tion that was beyond audacious given the fragility nor-
mally associated with the mechanism – how could such
emblems of the finest watchmaking have a place in a
sports watch? The doubters were wrong: the RM 001
demonstrated that a tourbillon could not only survive
but thrive, even be considered essential in an extreme
sport watch. Since then, the mechanism has become
central to the character of the brand, defining the devo-
tion to precision and horological excellence at the heart
of Richard Mille.
Richard Mille’s motorsport identity is also written in
partnerships with the drivers who road-test and con-
tribute directly to the development the watches. Felipe
Massa was the first, joining the brand in 2004, shortly
after his F1 debut and ahead of a long Ferrari tenure
(2006–2013). He never started a race without an RM on
his wrist and inspired multiple signature models, most
notably the RM 050 split-seconds tourbillon chrono-
graph, while today’s family of drivers includes Fernando
Alonso (since 2016), himself a Ferrari alumnus (2010–
2014) and Charles Leclerc who was backed by Richard
Mille long before his F1 debut (as are many other driv-
ers) and is now, as a Scuderia driver alongside Lewis
Hamilton, doubly linked to the brand.
Lap Time
The RM 008-V1, launched in 2003, was Richard Mille’s
first tourbillon with a high-performance split-seconds
chronograph, which demonstrated the brand’s innova-
tive spirit by re-visiting a concept that no-one else had
looked to improve on for forty years. Radically re-engi-
neered, the majority titanium construction eliminated
the hand-shake at chronograph start and stop, and sig-
nificantly reducing the friction within the system, reduc-
ing the energy consumption and inertia. That movement
was progressively refined, with new several technical
advances applied over the following years to become
the RM 050 series in 2012.
Today, the saga continues with the RM 43-01 Ferrari
a yet more refined and capable version that draws on the
technical partnership between Richard Mille and Ferrari
Three years of development in the making, the move-
ment features even more sophisticated components,
particularly within the split-seconds mechanism each
of which was subjected to exhaustive tests, both simu-
lated and physical. The plan of the movement was also
reconfigured to achieve a balance of optimal efficiency
and visual drama with the tourbillon, now featuring an
innovative seconds display, offset to the right, clear-
ing space for a laser-engraved titanium plaque bearing
Ferrari’s iconic Cavallino Rampante.
Design-wise, the influence of Ferrari’s Centro Stile is
unmistakable. Enthusiasts will spot forms and textures
throughout with engine-inspired design cues on the
movement all carefully applied to heighten the sense
of depth and balance. Externally there are pushers ech-
oing the rear lights of the SF90 Stradale and the strap
mimics the seat stitching of the Purosangue, while the
case comes in two versions: an ultra-sporty Carbon TPT®
model and a more urban variant with a Grade 5 titanium
bezel framing the Carbon TPT® body.
Two tourbillon split-second chronographs. Two
places at the front of the grid. Both built to win.■ Éric
Dumatin
The second watch created with Ferrari, the RM 43-01 offers a
completely new interpretation of Richard Mille’s split-seconds
tourbillon chronograph, the most complex model in its stable and
the influence of Ferrari’s Centro Stile design centre in Maranello
is evident to the connoisseur. In addition to the chronograph,
the manually wound movement includes hallmark Richard Mille
functions: a function selector displaying the crown position (W
for winding, H for time setting, N for neutral) and a torque indi-
cator showing barrel-spring tension to optimise chronometric
performance. Measuring 42.90 × 51.20 mm, the RM 43-01 Fer-
rari comes in two editions:
1. RICHARD MILLE RM 43-01 Ferrari Titanium Version — with
a Carbon TPT® caseband and pushers, and a microblasted tita-
nium Grade 5 bezel and caseback. Limited edition of 75 pieces.
2. RICHARD MILLE RM 43-01 Ferrari Carbon TPT® Version —
with caseband, bezel, caseback and pushers all in Carbon TPT®,
a lightweight and ultra-durable composite exclusive to Richard
Mille in watchmaking. Limited edition of 75 pieces.
Pole Position