Style Edit: Richard Mille’s collaboration with Ferrari showcases both brands’ dedication to technology and performance, embodied by Formula One hotshot Charles Leclerc

Apr 25 , 2024

Ferrari Formula One driver Charles Leclerc wears the RM UP-01 Ferrari, the result of a partnership between Richard Mille and Ferrari that has produced the watch brand’s thinnest timepiece to date, at just 1.75mm thick

Style Edit

Richard Mille’s partnership with Ferrari resulted in the RM UP-01 Ferrari – a triumph of technical prowess and the watch brand’s thinnest timepiece to date, at just 1.75mm thick

Scuderia Ferrari’s 26-year-old Formula One driver Charles Leclerc is a partner of Richard Mille, following in the footsteps of the likes of Rafael Nadal, Bubba Watson and Romain Grosjean

Both Ferrari and Richard Mille have a track record of developing machines as elegant as they are supremely functional. Driven by the pursuit of performance in their respective fields, the brands also share a refusal to compromise on standards, and a strong tendency to eschew trends. For companies with a singular vision, forging one’s own course is precisely what enables progress and innovation when it comes to design and aesthetics.

Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari is the watch brand’s thinnest timepiece to date, at just 1.75mm thick

Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1939, Ferrari began enjoying tremendous racing success in the 1950s and 60s. Over the years, the company has gone on to create some of the most renowned sports cars in history, triumphing in many of the world’s most famous competitions – from the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Mille Miglia and Targa Florio endurance races, to Formula One’s most glamorous event, the Monaco Grand Prix. This racing pedigree, and the success of Ferrari drivers like Juan Manuel Fangio, Alberto Ascari and Phil Hill, have helped make it one of the most celebrated car brands in the world.

Today, Scuderia Ferrari holds the record for the greatest number of Formula One World Drivers’ Championship titles, at 15; as well as the most World Constructors’ Championship wins, at 16.

The job of building on this rich pedigree falls to current Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr, the latter of whom has already won one race – The Australian Grand Prix – back in March.

Formula One driver Charles Leclerc prepares for the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix, held on April 5-7 at the Suzuka International Racing Course. Photo: DPPI

A brand whose DNA encompasses performance, avant-garde design, and innovative engineering and materials, Richard Mille has come a long way since its founding in 2001. Reflecting its priorities, the Swiss watch brand has partnered with some of the world’s most famous athletes over the years, including tennis superstar Rafael Nadal, golfing champion Bubba Watson and Formula One driver Romain Grosjean. In mid-2022, the prodigious young Ferrari Formula One driver Charles Leclerc joined that hallowed list.

Richard Mille watches are designed with strong personalities and unprecedented levels of complexity, with practically no limits on investment in R&D. The brand’s engineers have in common with those of the Italian automotive company an obsession with innovating to the extreme – so who better for Richard Mille to partner with than Ferrari?

Richard Mille and Ferrari, though from very different fields of endeavour, are united in their pursuit of precision engineering

“Everyone knows that Ferrari is an iconic brand with an incredible history, and a true following – from the legendary Tifosi [supporters of Scuderia Ferrari] to collectors of classic cars,” the Richard Mille company said in a statement. “The whole team is thrilled about the collaboration with Ferrari, and committed to creating a strong and passionate partnership.”