1. For boldness: when the RM-01 was released in 2001, it was a shockwave. The tonneau shape had long been neglected. The materials are disruptive. The price, stratospheric. But Richard Mille stands by everything and never gives in. He has never deviated by an iota, in a quarter of a century, from the milestones set in 2000-2001, despite market upheavals and changes in fashions and trends. A textbook case.
2. For the man: smiling, approachable, tough in business, formidable financier, endowed with a clear and precise watchmaking vision, and an innate sense of marketing, Richard Mille is not a watchmaker, but probably one of the greatest industrial captains of the past 25 years.
3. For Nadal: "RM" has had many ambassadors, but how could one not single out Rafael Nadal? One of the greatest athletes of all time, courted hundreds of times, yet an unwavering ally of Richard Mille.
4. For watchmaking: with Dominique Guénat, Richard Mille created in Les Breuleux a watchmaking site of rare power, sustainable and job-creating.
5. For design: the tonneau shape has become so characteristic of the brand that any somewhat related creation immediately “makes you think of a Richard Mille.” The flair missing?
6. For carbon: it is called TPT at Richard Mille, but it is thanks to the brand that it has returned so prominently to the watchmaking scene.
7. For durability: before Richard Mille, for a watch to be robust, it had to be heavy. The brand proved the opposite and made it its trademark.
8. For the skeleton: the movement bare is the rule, the dial the exception. Richard Mille reversed the conventions. And, 25 years later, no one questions this choice, yet profoundly disruptive.
9. For the love of cycling: when Richard Mille outlined a collaboration with Alain Prost, everyone expected a racing piece. Wrong: the man dedicated Prost’s passion for cycling, with a very high-level watch, opposite the quartz chronographs usually devoted to the Little Queen.
10. For Chantilly: with the Chantilly Concours d’Élégance, Richard Mille restored the splendor to a concept, a place, and to French elegance.
11. For collectible cars: by co-creating Le Mans Classic with his unwavering partner from Peter Auto, Richard Mille has brought the beautiful collectible car back to the height of its glory.
12. For his contributions to watchmaking: suspended movements, vibrating alarms, and other all-proof tourbillons have defined new standards of shock resistance that most other watchmaking players still have not reached.
13. For his independence: despite countless awards, Richard Mille has charted a path parallel to the traditional routes of watch marketing... not hesitating to withdraw from the SIHH spotlight.
14. For family: Richard Mille has seven children, many of whom work within the family business now run by his daughter. A fine example of early succession.
15. For integrity: Richard Mille collects beautiful vintage cars, co-created Le Mans Classic, the Chantilly Concours d’Élégance... and ended his career at the FIA. A mechanical trajectory of rare integrity.
16. For the unexpected: a watch with a G-sensor, with a capsule to purify water, or an ultra-thin 1.18 mm thick watch? Richard Mille did it, proving that one could easily go beyond limits... as long as none were set.
17. For independence: the company Richard Mille received numerous buyout offers, the man did not hide it, but he refused them all, preferring to keep his jewel in the family.
18. For attachment to France: Richard Mille has always distinguished between Swiss Made for his watches, but without forgetting what he owed to his native France. The native of Draguignan had his offices in Paris, renovated at his own expense a building in the capital to make it a classic and classy headquarters, and resides part of the year in his Breton castle.
19. For women: the watch is technical, demonstrative, rare, and expensive, but Richard Mille has been able to adapt it into feminine versions that, today, are no longer debated.
20. For R&D: TPT quartz, TPT carbon, graphene, cermet, Kalrez, ATZ, Titalyt, sapphire, ceramic, titanium, Nitril, Richard Mille constantly explores the possibilities of new materials, pushing the industry towards new horizons.
21. For the element of surprise: decorations in confectionery, with smileys, graffiti, or astronauts, Richard Mille has demonstrated on multiple occasions that one can be serious without taking oneself too seriously.
22. For the impossible made reality: no one knew Richard Mille, formerly of Matra and Mauboussin. Who, today, is one of the most renowned names in watchmaking. The man proved that one could be a complete unknown to clients... and still captivate them all with a highly disruptive watchmaking proposition.
23. For exclusivity: Richard Mille could have had many opportunities to appeal to the general public with more affordable watches and significantly increase his sales. He never did, keeping his production between 3,000 and 6,000 pieces on average.
24. For his boutiques: rarely has a brand made its boutiques reflect the design of its DNA. Modern materials, ultra transparency, lots of space, avant-garde design, showcases and rooms that breathe. Sales areas that will not need to be renewed for a long time!
25. For tomorrow: what will Richard Mille do in 2026? No one knows. And that is precisely what makes it charming!
