The first time Richard Mille collaborated with Ferrari, many might have expected something that was related to race cars. The Swiss matchmaker’s slogan, after all, is ‘A racing machine on the wrist’. The RM UP-01 that debuted in 2022, a super slim design that was the world’s thinnest watch on release, utterly bucked expectations. It’s fitting, in a way, for Richard Mille, a brand that thrives on doing things differently.
So when it came to a second outing with Ferrari, Richard Mille brought the surprise by going right back to fundamentals. Enter the RM 43-01 Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph, designed in collaboration with Ferrari, a timepiece entirely about superlative, high-performance function in the spirit of speed and precision. The new reference is offered in two versions, each limited to 75 pieces: one cased in grade 5 titanium, and one in carbon TPT. The former to express the style of a “gentleman driver” and the latter for a “high-octane attitude”, according to the brand’s casing technical director Julien Boillat.
The collaborative handshake between Richard Mille and Ferrari here might be the shared idea of a pinnacle, where form and function converge to create performance and beauty. “In terms of performance, anything that has a technical purpose can also be beautiful,” explains Flavio Manzoni, Ferrari’s chief design officer. “The concept of functional beauty is something that we really love.”
The timepiece boasts a split-seconds chronograph function, one of the most technically demanding to manufacture in watchmaking. To power it, Richard Mille partnered with Audemars Piguet Le Locle to design, over three years, the brand-new calibre RM43-01. Touted as a paragon of power and efficiency, this 514-part movement echoes the thrilling experience of a Ferrari V12 engine.
Under the hood, the RM 43-01 also benefits from the aesthetic perspective of Centro Stile, the in-house design studio of Ferrari. The engine of one of the legendary marque’s cars may roar, but the details on this timepiece are more akin to a purr for a connoisseur.
Baseplates have a metallic finish that echoes sandcast engine components, X-shaped supports and raised ridges nod to parts on Ferrari engine blocks, Richard Mille’s typical spline screws are replaced with hexagonal screws like the ones found on Ferrari engine covers, and the holes on the barrel’s jewel setting recalls the clutch wheel of a V8 engine. Even the bezel, crown, hands, pushers and rubber strap take their cue from Ferrari’s stylebook.
But the details that most naturally fit a supercar’s design morphology might be ones that Richard Mille has long had. If you’re familiar with the hallmarks of a Richard Mille dial, you might be acquainted with the configuration of power reserve, torque and winding function indicators—details that preternaturally evoke an automotive’s dashboard and gearbox. A racing machine indeed, and now in more ways than one.
Pre-order your copy of the Vogue Man ‘Gold’ issue online or pick it up on newsstands from 13 June 2025.
