Over the course of nearly a quarter century, Richard Mille has achieved numerous technical accomplishments. Although these feats occasionally stand in the long shadow cast by the watches’ appeal as status symbols for the superrich, they underpin the distinctive appearance, tactile experience, and exceptional performance of Richard Mille watches, as well as the staggeringly high prices they command. A tourbillon watch that can be hurled across the room or survive being on the wrist of tennis phenom Rafael Nadal simply didn’t exist before Richard Mille, and the mere thought of it would have sent shockwaves through the very core of Abraham-Louis Breguet, possibly leaving him on the brink of a horological heartquake.
MATERIAL INNOVATION
The incredible combination of micro-engineering and case and movement-suspension technology have resulted in the most radical examples of shock resistance and lightness the industry has ever seen. Mille was a pioneer in employing materials only used in aerospace or Formula 1 technology such as titanium and carbon fiber.
While titanium has become a staple in modern watchmaking today, Mille was the first to take the grade of titanium into account and became the first to machine baseplates out of it with the 12th example of the RM 001, significantly reducing its weight while increasing its rigidity and impact resistance. Grade 5 titanium is notably stronger compared to the more commonly used grade 2 titanium.
