Is Richard Mille worth the money?
The watches of the top 0.01%. Find out below how a watch can cost more than your house!
So to start off let’s go into the ‘short’ history of Richard Mille. The brand was founded by - you guessed it - Richard Mille and his friend Domonic Guenat. It was 1988 when Richard first met Domonic and very quickly became close friends through working with each other in watchmaking and jewellery at Maubossin.
In 2001 their first watch was released, the RM 001 Tourbillon, priced at $135,000, not cheap for a brands first watch, especially in 2001. This was followed by the tourbillon RM 002, an evolution of the RM 001, enhanced with two features: a movement baseplate in titanium, and a function indicator with winding, neutral and hand-setting positions.
'For a long time, I wished to launch my own brand. I wanted to create a new business model, far removed from traditional marketing strategies, something totally original.
My goal was to create a new, ultra-high-end luxury segment within the high-end watch business, and I was very eager to know what could come of it.’ - Richard Mille
How much do they cost?
Their ‘entry level’ pieces such as the RM 005 and RM 010 can be bought for around $90,000 (used). As you go to more expensive pieces such as the RM 35 the prices sit at around $400,000. And then you have their top of the line watches such as the RM 27 which costs around $1,000,000+ on the grey market!
Then there’s an even higher tier, the elite tier. One example is the Richard Mille 56-02 in sapphire which sold for a staggering $2,500,000. MENTAL!
What’s their secret?
Since Richard Mille started they have kept climbing the ladder and in 2024 had a revenue of $1.7B dollars which put them 6th in the top watch brands by revenue, and all that with only selling 5,700 watches which puts their average watch price at $300,000.
They have a smart marketing strategy which helped them launch to the top
Produce a limited amount of watches (5,000/ year)
Never offer any discounts, to anyone
Boutiques only placed in the wealthiest areas (Monaco, Beverly hills, Dubai)
Collaborate with the Top athletes in the wealthiest sports (F1, Tennis, Golf)
Richard Mille once said - ‘My watches are not for everyone. They are for people who want to stand out and appreciate innovation’
What about the watches?
Carbon TPT, Quartz TPT, sapphire cases, and grade 5 titanium.
Innovations like the G-sensor, split-second chronographs, and shock resistance up to 10,000 Gs.
The fact that Rafael Nadal literally plays tennis with a $1M+ tourbillon is a serious technical feat.
By combining all these attributes this helped Richard Mille become one of the most exclusive watch brands in the world in less than 20 years, and for comparison Vacheron Constantin is 280 years old and Patek Philippe is 186 years old! Which is where some of the criticism comes in for RM.
Why the hate?
Now why do Richard Mille get some hate? One of the key reasons are the designs. Just in my comments I have seen them described as ‘Happy meal toys’ and ‘A rich man’s Invicta’ just to name a few. The designs are very different to other leaders in the watch market such as Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe, which is why when people see such a different take on a luxury watch (bold, colourful, rubber straps, plastic) they don’t seem to like it.
Another point of criticism they receive is that they have a lack of heritage, having been around only 24 years now compared to other brands that have been around 100+ years, but like I say a brand has to start somewhere and by the time we are all gone will this still be an argument used? Who knows.
The Celebrities
Rafael Nadal: RM 27-04, ultra-light tourbillon worn while playing—proof of its shock resistance.
Jay-Z: RM 56-01 in sapphire ($2.5M).
Pharrell Williams: RM 52-05 Tourbillon with Mars motif.
Drake: RM 69 Erotic Tourbillon, RM 035, RM 055.
LeBron James: Former ambassador, wore RM 11-03.
Paul Pogba, Odell Beckham Jr., Conor McGregor, Travis Scott, Kevin Hart — all frequent wearers.
Formula 1: Ferrari, McLaren, and Alfa Romeo teams have partnerships.
Yohan Blake (RM 59-01), Jamaican sprinter.
Bubba Watson (RM 38), pro golfer.
F1 drivers - Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso, and Lando Norris
Fun Facts
The RM 27-04 Tourbillon weighs just 30 grams including the strap.
Carbon TPT® (Thin Ply Technology) used in RM cases is originally developed for aerospace and Formula 1.
Sapphire crystal cases used in RM 56 take up to 1,000 hours to machine and polish.
The RM 50-03 McLaren F1 is the lightest split-seconds chronograph ever made, weighing 38 grams total.
RM watches are designed to withstand up to 10,000 Gs of shock—a record for mechanical watches.
The average price of a Richard Mille watch is around $300,000.
Their sapphire models (like the RM 56-02) can cost over $2.5 million.
Even pre-owned “entry-level” RMs like the RM 005 often cost more than a Ferrari Portofino.
Rafael Nadal wears his RM 27 tourbillon models while playing professional tennis matches.
Pharrell’s RM 52-05 Tourbillon features a 3D Mars surface motif inside the dial.
Bubba Watson’s RM 38-01 was designed to handle the impact of his golf swings (over 200 mph club speed).
I’d like to end on an interesting quote I recently read - “Love them or hate them, you can’t ignore them. And maybe that’s the whole point.”
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