Ultra high-end watchmaker Richard Mille and Ferrari has teamed up to create the world’s thinnest watch. This watch is only 1.75mm thick (thinner than quarter) and cost $1,888,000. Only 150 pieces will be made so get your order in fast before it’s sold out!
Being a mechanical watch, the RM UP-01 has no fitness tracking, no messages, and no access to smart assistants. However it does features hours, minutes, seconds, and a function selector all spread across the broad, impossibly thin, case design. The movement plate used for this watch is skeletonized and underwent a litany of strength tests which allow it to withstand accelerations of over 5,000 Gs, so if you crash your Ferrari while wearing this watch, you’ll be happy to know that even if you don’t survive, your watch will.
The movement was developed between Richard Mille and Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi. Part of this development involved rethinking the escapement by building a titanium variable inertia balance wheel, which allowed for a reduction in thickness without losing any of the function and capability.
“The new patented ultra-flat escapement eliminates both parts and situates the banking function directly to the anchor fork. To do so, the fork itself was elongated and its horns modified.” – Richard Mille
The baseplate and bridges of the RM UP-01 are crafted of from an alloy made of 90% grade 5 titanium, 6% aluminium and 4% vanadium. This combination further increases the material’s mechanical properties.
The caseback and bezel are satin-finished, with polished bevels. The iconic Ferrari prancing horse and all the references present on the case are laser-engraved. This unique ultra-thin case is assembled using 13 grade 5 titanium spline screws and abrasion-resistant washers in 316L stainless steel.
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. Surrounding the crowns, two black ceramic inserts protect the bezel from friction and ensure water resistance to 10 meters.
Richard Mille watches are known as the Billionaire’s Secret Handshake. It is said that wearing one will get you into the most exclusive clubs without being on the list, test drive any Ferrari without the salesman asking any questions, or go into a By Appointment Only store without making an appointment. Does that justify the $1,888,000 asking price? That’s a question for the buyer to decide, but RM shouldn’t have any problems selling all 150 timepieces.
