Richard Mille Watches
Often referred to as a “racing machine on your wrist”, Richard Mille watches may be a relatively new name in the juggernaut that is the luxury watch market, but the brand has been turning heads for decades due to the master craftsmanship of the collections, combined with the meticulous and limited production.
The History of Richard Mille Watches
Richard Mille began his life in watches with a job at a local watchmaking company in the 1970s when he was in his early 20s. Mille went on to rise in the industry, working in management for a number of businesses before, around the turn of the millennium, deciding to go it alone and found his own brand following a disagreement.
The company was built with a bold vision. The dream was to take the techniques and materials implemented in a number of sectors Richard Mille was particularly passionate about, namely those of racing cars and aeroplanes, and apply them into the world of watchmaking.
Following a number of years of research and prototyping, in 2001 the Richard Mille brand was finally ready to present its first timepiece, the RM 001 Tourbillon, the first in a series of 17 groundbreaking timepieces — the beginning of a meteoric rise to mainstream relevance within the ever popular luxury watch market.
The following years saw a number of new models released, most notable were the Tourbillon RM 003 with dual time zone, the RM 004 Split Seconds Chronograph which utilised a ‘pincer’ rattrapante that would grab the split second gear in one swift motion in lieu of the more traditional lever and column wheel method.
Vehicular Roots
The inspiration the Richard Mille brand derived from the automotive world cannot be understated. A significant amount of the innovation the brand would go on to make were at least in part inspired by racing, including:
- The shock-resistance of F1 cars which was used to both significantly reduce the watches’ friction, and improve the rigidity of its baseplates. This concept can be, in one way or another, be seen in virtually every release by the brand since the initial RM 001 model.
- Materials utilised in F1 to lower the weight of the vehicles was implemented into Richard Mille watches. This was done to enable the brand to release extremely lightweight watches without losing accuracy or sturdiness.
Alongside the aforementioned inspiration derived from the automotive and aeronautic industries and their feats of engineering, the Richard Mille brand would, over the years, also dip their toes into the racing world on more than one occasion. Perhaps most significantly of all — the RM 003, with its dual time zone functionality would go on to become a major feature in the first ever Le Mans Classic.
In early 2017, the RM 50-03 McLaren F1 was produced. This watch was created in collaboration with the massively successful Formula 1 constructor and combined a tourbillon with a split second chronograph — making the RM 50-03 the lightest mechanical chronograph ever made.
A Richard Mille watch was also on the wrist of F1 driver and brand partner Felipe Massa when he suffered a dramatic accident in the qualifyings stages of the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix. Both the driver and the RM 006 adorning his wrist would emerge from the over 160mph crash, the latter of which emerged almost completely unscathed — a testament to the quality and craftsmanship that goes into Richard Mille watches.
Pre-Owned Richard Mille Watches from Blowers Jewellers
While we can’t promise to operate quite as fast as a Formula 1 racing car, we do pride ourselves in the speed and efficiency of our service. From start to finish our dedicated team will work with you to ensure your time dealing with us is as simple and stress free as possible. If you have your heart set on a particular dream watch already, we can point you in the right direction — or alternatively, if you’re a little less certain on what you want, we can help you make the right decision for you and help you land the perfect watch.
We stock an excellent collection of pre-owned Richard Mille watches that come in all shapes and sizes. Every piece we sell has been rigorously vetted and assessed by our in-house team of experts to ensure that every watch that leaves our doors is in absolutely perfect condition. All of our pre-owned Richard Mille watches can be viewed at our Hull boutique, or in our London Mayfair location (by appointment only).
Whether you’re sitting on a Richard Mille watch and are considering selling it to raise funds for another purchase, are looking to boost your savings, or are even weighing up an upgrade to get an item from another luxury brand, Blowers Jewellers can help. All you need to do is get in touch with details of the watch you are looking to part with and we will go away, assess the information and come up with an initial quote of the value of the timepiece within 48 hours.
For additional information about what Blowers Jewellers can do for you, to simplify the process of finding your dream Richard Mille watch, or sell the one you already have, get in touch with a member of our team today or visit us at one of our physical locations.