An interview with the luxury watch creator at Le Mans, France. Richard Mille is producing some of the most innovative, and expensive, timepieces in the world.

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Profile
An Innov tor
a
P Excellence
arRichard Mille created his own watch brand in 2001
and in less than a decade he has accomplished
incredible feats in haute horology. He has challenged
preconceptions, smashed convention, pushed
boundaries and brought fresh vision into the 450-year-
old Swiss watchmaking industry. Nick Rice meets a
man passionately consumed by extreme achievement.
Portfolio November 2010

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Profile
Profile
Mille isn’t sure what came first, his love for cars or watches.
“a perfect example
He now combines both his passions in the watch industry. of resilient
performance came
when Massa wore
his Richard Mille
RM 006 in the 2004
Canadian Grand
Prix and resisted
a g-force of 113
through an extreme
deceleration.”
The Richard Mille Aerodyne Tourbillon watch is intricate in every detail.
Exclusivity is the hallmark of this watch brand, and Mille is content to sell
between three to four thousand watches annually.
ambassadors. They don’t just have their Grand Prix when a spring came off
picture taken wearing the watches or put Rubens Barrichelo’s car in front and struck
them on when out in public. They are Massa on the head causing a 274 kilometre
involved in the developmental stages, per hour crash, his Richard Mille watch
contribute to essential design changes, and was unaffected.
finally they put the finished products to the Massa was not unscathed, but fortunate to
ultimate test. survive. “I am very lucky to be here, I mean
When I first
When commentators and experts in it was a huge crash. I had 250 kilogrammes
Now in his late 50s and presiding over whole approach. “It is a global approach the watch industry learned that Mille hit my head,” he says with eyebrows raised.
interviewed Richard Mille alongside his eponymous multi-million dollar watch to the movement, case and dial. This intended to subject his watches to real “Which represents, at that speed, four
Ferrari’s F1 star racing driver, Felipe brand, one that is at the very forefront means everything has been designed by life extremes, many predicted a complete tonnes. Four tonnes directly on the helmet,
Massa, Mille told me he couldn’t of design, innovation and technical starting from a clean sheet, according mechanical collapse. No one expected and on the skull.” Mille interjects. “His bone
remember which came first, his love for excellence, he is still playing. Albeit with to an extremely precise and rigorous a tourbillion, hitherto thought of as the exploded. Until recently he had a three
time and watches, or cars and speed. the tables turned and astounding results. specification, with the aim of completely most delicate of watch movements, to centimetre hole in his head.” Mille continues,
“I don’t know what is most important In a serendipitous twist, it is now the cars integrating all the elements, like a withstand the incredible shocks and revealing in graphic detail just how lucky
for me – whether it is a fascination for that inform the creation of the watches. Formula 1 car, where the chassis and the vibrations of being in an actual Grand Massa was. The successful driver made a
performance and racing, or a fascination Taking inspiration from the intensely engine are both developed together. Of Prix race. Yet a perfect example of remarkably quick full recovery and just has
for time – it’s a mixture. Extreme complex automotive world of Formula One, course, the aesthetics has importance, resilient performance came when Massa a large dent at the side of his forehead as
performance, extreme technique – Mille takes design cues from F1 engine but function has always been privileged,” wore his Richard Mille RM 006 in the a reminder of his ordeal. Massa is back on
it’s a communication,” he said. parts and applies these into the watches he asserts. 2004 Canadian Grand Prix and resisted the track again, and as always, wearing his
Most likely it is an internal dialogue he creates. Integral constituent parts that So once these horological marvels are a g-force of 113 through an extreme Richard Mille watch.
and a lifelong, overlapping enthrallment comprise a finished Richard Mille watch complete, what better way to test these deceleration, the highest ever recorded by It is clear that Mille, a charismatic
with both that Mille has held since he was look like parts of an F1 engine. From racing cars for the wrist than in an actual the FIA at the time. The watch was totally and ebullient gentleman, has a special
just a boy. At nine he dismantled his first centrally important components, such as Formula One Grand Prix? unaffected then, and has been in every relationship with the athletes who
Mille with Felipe Massa. The two started
watch. Not surprisingly, he couldn’t put it a tourbillion bridge closely resembling a Cue the involvement with the man on other Grand Prix Massa has entered since. represent his brand. As Massa says,
collaborating when Massa had just started
back together again. But even at that young suspension triangle, through to design Mille’s right hand side, Felipe Massa. In “We met in 2004 and we started a good his F1 career and the relationship has
age Mille was creatively resourceful and motifs, like the function buttons on the side keeping with most things about Richard Even in the most undesirable test relationship, and then we started working grown from there.
he used those disassembled watch parts of a watch mirroring F1 acceleration pedals. Mille watches, there is a notable break situation imaginable, the awful crash together and developing the product. I
to build model cars, childhood creations The correlations lie not only in from convention and the people associated Massa survived in July 2009 during was in the beginning of my career as well,
which he still has to this day. separate parts, but also in Mille’s with Richard Mille are not typical brand qualification heats for the Hungarian so we grew together.”
Portfolio November 2010

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Profile
“I suffered from
‘Enzo Ferrari
syndrome,’ who was,
before launching
his own brand,
manager at Lancia.”
“I love Rafael’s personality, his humility,
The Le Mans Classic is a 24-hour race that features some
his love and respect for people, his
of the world’s most collectible cars.
gentleman mentality contrasting his
warrior behaviour when on a tennis court.
In terms of developing the watch, he
demanded the best, and it encouraged us
to go beyond the technical limits,” he says.
Mille enjoys a close relationship with the stars that represent his brand, and ensures
their involvement in the essential elements of the product’s design and function. The astronomical success in the first
10 years of the Richard Mille brand comes
to be as light as possible. He was fighting limited production of 50 is inversely after a lifetime spent working in the luxury
against the perceived idea of more weight proportionate to the weight – $525,000. watch industry. His first role in the watch
equalling more quality and value. The As usual, Mille looked to automotive business was as a commercial director in
heavier the watch, the more it must be and aerospace technology when 1974. By 1994 Mille had become president
worth, was the prevailing, if flawed logic. creating this horological marvel. This of the watch division at the renowned House
Rafael Nadal is also a brand ambassador for It is a battle of perception that Mille tourbillion is made from titanium of Mauboussin. Yet Mille was frustrated.
GETTY IMAGES
Richard Mille. Nadal’s RM 027 weighs less than has taken to extremes with the creation and LITAL alloy, a high lithium He was not a watchmaker per se, being
20 grammes and has a price tag of $525,000.
this year of the tourbillion watch RM content alloy containing aluminium, occupied rather with the figures and finance.
027, the lightest mechanical watch ever copper, magnesium and zirconium. But his true desire was to create and
“It was funny” Mille adds, “because designed. This time the ambassador test The addition of lithium, one of the combine design with technique.
when we started together people would driving and endorsing the watch is tennis lightest elements, to the alloy mixture, Mille says, “I suffered from ‘Enzo Ferrari
say to me – ‘but you’re investing in this ace Rafael Nadal. Once more, the mutual provides great strength without syndrome,’ who was, before launching his Mille’s son took part in the Little Big Le Mans children’s race.
new driver Felipe Massa, he’s young, admiration and respect between Mille adding unnecessary weight. For the own brand, manager at Lancia. But then
he’s not known; are you sure it’s a good and his star collaborators is noteworthy. same reasons this alloy is used in he decided to express his own views of the
automobile and have his own concepts and accepted, but with Mille’s conviction and If innovation is turning ideas into
“In similar fashion, it is safe to say that Mille trusted his instincts.” creations made, although he was not a car passion for time the number of converts manufacturable, marketable form, then
engineer himself.” keeps growing. Richard Mille has mastered the process and
choice?’ Now people come to me and say, When they joined forces Nadal announced the construction of the Airbus A380, Mille left Mauboussin and in 1998 can be safely described as a groundbreaking
‘Hey… clever!’” publicly, “It is an honour for me that helicopters, rockets and satellites, as established himself as an independent The next time I meet Mille he is pioneer in the world of high horology.
In similar fashion, it is safe to say that someone like Richard has chosen me as well as in F1 racing cars. development consultant. He worked closely launching his RM 010 Le Mans Classic And as for the future, Mille is just happy
Mille trusted his instincts and cared little one of his ambassadors. Since the moment To give some perspective to the RM with Audemars Piguet, a company he still limited edition at the 2010 Le Mans to continue creating. “My true passion lies
for warnings when he launched his watch we met there was a special feeling. I know 027, it’s approximately the same weight collaborates closely with in the production Classic, an amazing 24-hour racing event in innovation, novelty and creativity. We are
brand. Right from the beginning he wanted that he has worked very hard to be able as a handful of toothpicks. This levity of his own watches. In 1999 he started to and one of the most spectacular displays in a sector that tells the time and yet it is
to go beyond anything that already existed in to create this very special watch. I am was essential as minor weight alterations develop his own personal brand of watches of collectible automobiles in the world. As constantly running behind. From my point
the world of ultra high-end luxury watches. honoured and I am sure it will be a special on the arm could affect a tennis player’s and after two years of intense research and well as launching the new model, Richard of view, I think I’m on the right track – we
And he wanted to explode tradition. Taking and successful partnership.” stroke and overall game. an uncompromising insistence on absolute Mille is the primary sponsor and official just have to keep to our chosen course. Since
his inspiration from the automotive and Following Massa’s RM 006 and RM The collaboration was immediately perfection, the first Richard Mille model, timekeeper of the event. With his young volume is absolutely not my aim, I have
aerospace industries, he had to consider 009, which weighed 42 grammes and 29 successful, and Nadal took victory at this the Tourbillion RM 001, was launched. son taking part in the ‘Little Big Le Man’ set myself the long-term goal of producing
many factors: performance, rigidity, grammes respectively, without the strap, year’s Wimbledon, proudly wearing his Mille wanted to rupture the watch- children’s race, Mille is in his element. three to four thousand watches a year,
resistance, reliability, function and material. Nadal’s RM 027 weighs less than 20 Richard Mille watch. Mille senses not making world and go beyond anything He’s with his family, surrounded by while continuing to maintain simultaneous
And paramount in his designs is always the grammes with the strap included. only the winner in his partners, but also that already existed. As with many great amazing cars and his brand is the most control over growth, ultra-selective
question of weight. Mille wanted his creations And the price to buy one of the forges a genuine bond with them. innovations, they are often not initially important one there. distribution and the brand image.” n
Portfolio November 2010