Richard Mille is known to bring the best technological innovation and architecture into watchmaking. The same can be said about Ferrari’s role in the automotive sector. So, when the two companies announced a 5-year partnership last year, we knew something special was about to happen. We just got a first glimpse into the collaboration and it is already setting world records. The RM UP-01 Ferrari watch has just been released and with a thickness of just 1.75mm (0.069 inches), it is the world’s thinnest watch. It is the product of over 6,000 hours of development and testing.
The $1.9 million watch will be strictly limited to a mere 150 pieces. The baseplate is made of a special alloy which contains 90% grade 5 titanium, 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium and has been extensively tested to withstand accelerations of over 5,000 G. In traditional watch escapements, the dart and the safety roller add the most height. Richard Mille patented a new form of escapement that eliminates the dart and safety roller altogether and resituates the banking function directly on the anchor fork. Both the case and crystal are also the culmination of design and testing. The sapphire crystal (1,800 Vickers) has a thickness of just 0.45mm for the hour dial and 0.20mm for the balance dial. Integrated into the bezel, the function selector located between 10 and 11 o’clock allows one to select the winding (W) or the hand-setting (H) function with a simple rotation of the crown. Setting the time or winding the barrel is then possible by turning the second crown located between 7 and 8 o’clock.
The RM UP-01 Ferrari watch is already making headlines around the world. Current Ferrari Formula 1 drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are featured in the ad campaign wearing the watch and putting it to the test behind the steering wheel.
Images courtesy of Richard Mille
