The thinnest watch, believe that friends who pay attention to the watch industry news should know that Bvlgari has continuously broken multiple world records in the past 8 years, and each year’s refresh is based on the records set in the previous year and overturned multiple times, creating a myth in the history of watchmaking. However, in July 2022, this myth was finally broken – independent high-end custom watch brand Richard Mille just released this morning, the brand new RM UP-01 Ferrari officially broke the record at 1.75mm!
BVLGARI’s record of 1.8mm set in March has been pushed forward again, reduced to an astonishing 1.75mm. The debut of this RM UP-01 Ferrari is definitely aimed at stunning the watch industry, as well as the world. Because the 1.75mm thickness we see is not referring to the movement thickness, but the overall thickness of the watch body including the movement and case. Moreover, as seen in official images, the RM UP-01 Ferrari also displays the hours, minutes, seconds, and winding function horizontally on the dial. It is understood that in order to achieve the most extreme level of thinness, the development team completely deconstructed the structure of the movement gears and distributed them in the small space between the dial and the movement, ensuring that the watch body does not increase in thickness due to overlapping structures. In short, it is simply extraordinary.
Richard Mille was able to accomplish this feat this time, thanks to the entire production team behind it. From the name of the new work, it can be seen that this time the brand has conducted in-depth research and development for the RM UP-01 Ferrari in collaboration with partner Ferrari. It is understood that the brand worked with the Ferrari team for over 6,000 hours of development and laboratory testing, and has been quietly working on production spanning many years. After conducting experiments on as many as dozens of prototypes, this amazing ultra-thin watch was finally created.
In addition, the production team also includes a group of Audemars Piguet Le Locle factory experts responsible for developing the RMUP-01 movement. This time, Richard Mille engineers collaborated with several Audemars Piguet Le Locle factory experts to develop a new type of escapement system, which involves reorganizing the escapement system using a titanium balance wheel to significantly reduce thickness while maintaining system stability and safety. Furthermore, the brand explained that the new movement has dispensed with traditional protective pins and safety rollers, replacing them with an elongated and modified anchor fork, eliminating the need for stacking and increasing thickness. As for the movement thickness, official figures show only 1.18mm, yet it can provide 45 hours of power reserve.
In terms of design, the dimensions of the RM UP-01 Ferrari are 51.00 x 39.00 x 1.75mm, which deviates from Richard Mille’s usual barrel shape. The dial is located in the center at the top, with the skeletonized escapement component covered with a sapphire crystal mirror surface on the top right, the winding and time-setting gears on the top left, and the function selector on the bottom left. The case is crafted from a grade 5 titanium alloy, consisting of 90% titanium metal, 6% aluminum, and 4% vanadium, further enhancing the watch’s rigidity and surface smoothness while maintaining a weight of only about 30 grams. All components are processed in Richard Mille’s movement department. It is reported that this part is led and overseen by the research and development team at Ferrari, likely due to the frequent use of these materials in the automotive industry. The iconic Ferrari prancing horse logo and all text and scales on the dial are laser-engraved. To protect against water, the watch is specially adorned with black ceramic components, with a water resistance of up to 100 meters.
Regarding the rigidity characteristics of the watch case, the brand indicates that the RM UP-01 can withstand accelerations of over 5,000G. What is the concept of 5000G? As an aside, for example, the highest impact force in the history of F1 racing when a car crashes into a barrier out of control was 254G by Marussia F1 driver Jules Bianchi in 2014, while famous driver Ruben Barrichello’s rollover at the Imola circuit in 1994 was only about 95G.
After the news was released this morning, it immediately shocked the watch industry. It is understood that Richard Mille’s official price is $1,775,000, approximately HKD 13,928,930. However, what surprised the watch industry and the media even more is that this RM UP-01 Ferrari will be produced in limited quantities, with the number reaching up to 150 pieces. It is believed that RM UP-01 Ferrari will be fully subscribed by all VVIPs in a short period of time. Finally, we bring you the latest styling photos of Richard Mille’s RM UP-01 Ferrari, with the brand specially inviting Scuderia Ferrari’s two drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, to model first.
資料及圖片來源：Richard Mille
