Richard Mille: From Watchmaker to Guardian of Motorsport Heritage

One rule for succeeding as an entrepreneur is to do things others do not. The great watchmakers have always been locked in fierce competition built on technical mastery, aesthetics, and the preciousness of their creations. Entering that highly regarded and well-established world with similar offerings seemed illogical to the young Frenchman Richard Mille – rich in industry experience and a passionate sportsman. There were under-explored areas in watchmaking: weight, resistance to violent shock, innovative materials considered too rare or costly to use. They deserved attention. It was 2001 when Richard Mille did not hesitate to plunge into this world, convinced that uniqueness and the use of materials such as grade 5 titanium, Carbon TPT®, and Quartz TPT® would not stand in the way of a decidedly high final price.

The example of motorsport – he is today a partner of Scuderia Ferrari and linked to McLaren following several successful collaborations – showed clearly that certain cars and certain names can be beyond price. So, before deciding what his watches should look like, he thought about what qualities they would need to be compared to the jewels of motor racing, the competition single-seater, and even aerospace research. That would be the goal. It meant that even the most complicated and coveted mechanisms would first need to be extremely light, extremely robust, and not necessarily conventional in form – as well as perfect.

It was what the market wanted, and the name Richard Mille, the same name chosen for his watches – as Enzo Ferrari and Bruce McLaren had done, along with many others – quickly became famous, associated from the very beginning with the great protagonists of many sports: tennis, sailing, motorsport, and even cycling.