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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Les Breuleux, Switzerland

Richard Mille

Partially verified

High-priced luxury mechanical watches

History

The Richard Mille brand was founded in 2001 by Richard Mille and Dominique Guenat to produce luxury timepieces.

The founders partnered with the Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet to develop their brand concept and early watch prototypes. Audemars Piguet subsequently acquired a 10% stake in the Richard Mille brand in 2007. The company operates as a group comprising several specialized entities including Horométrie SA for distribution and Guenat SA Montres Valgine for conception and assembly.

In 2013, the brand acquired a majority stake in the component manufacturer Prototypes Artisanals SA, which was renamed ProArt to produce watch cases and movement components. In 2022, Richard Mille retired from his leadership role and transferred the company's management to his children, Alexandre and Amanda.

The extended history summarises the open references listed under Sources; each statement was checked against the cited passage. Confirm key dates in period documents before relying on them.

Current watchmaking & later fate

  • The brand continues to operate as a manufacturer of luxury timepieces managed by Alexandre and Amanda Mille.
  • The company group maintains its headquarters and primary assembly facilities in Les Breuleux, Switzerland.

As stated in the references listed under Sources, retrieved 2026-11-03. Ownership and collections change; check the maker's own announcements for the latest position.

Key models

RM 001 Tourbillon
Introduced in 2001, the RM 001 Tourbillon was the brand's first exhibited watch.
RM 006 Felipe Massa Tourbillon
Launched in 2004, the RM 006 Felipe Massa Tourbillon featured a lightweight construction weighing 48 grams.
RM 027 Rafael Nadal
Released in 2007, this model weighed only 20 grams including the strap.
RM 50-03 McLaren F1
Exhibited in 2017, the RM 50-03 McLaren F1 was described as the world's lightest flyback chronograph.
RM 71-01 Automatic Tourbillon Talisman
Launched in late 2018, this watch was designed by Cécile Guenat.

Major innovations

  • The brand developed a variable-geometry rotor for its automatic movements.
  • The company collaborated with NTPT to create Quartz TPT materials.
  • They introduced a laminated sapphire crystal in the RM 53-01 model.

Known markings

  • The company uses the brand name Richard Mille on its timepieces.

Serial numbers

No serial-number system for this maker is recorded in the cited references.

Collecting significance

The catalogued pieces listed on this page show the kinds of objects auction houses, dealers and museums attribute to this maker; each attribution is the source's own.

In the object catalogue

6 catalogued objects are recorded under Richard Mille. Attributions are as given by each source and are not independent authentication.

Diagram

top plate or bridgespillar platebalance and cockwheel train between the plates
Schematic: plate and bridge layout. An outline schematic drawn to show the arrangement of the parts discussed here. It is not a dimensioned working drawing and does not depict a particular maker's calibre.

Sources & references

  1. Richard Mille, Wikipedia (English), retrieved 2026-11-03 (text CC BY-SA 4.0)
  2. Richard Mille, Wikipedia (German), retrieved 2026-11-03 (text CC BY-SA 4.0)
  3. Richard Mille, Wikipedia (French), retrieved 2026-11-03 (text CC BY-SA 4.0)
  4. Richard Mille (industriel), Wikipedia (French), retrieved 2026-11-03 (text CC BY-SA 4.0)

Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.