The countdown to the 2026 Formula One season has begun! To celebrate, we’re introducing you to one of their iconic horological sponsors: Richard Mille.
The 8th of March marks the start of the new Formula One season, and it is shaping up to be a thrilling one! New machinery, new teams and new circuits have all been added to the world’s most popular motorsport, and all eyes are on the 22 drivers competing for this year’s World Drivers’ Championship.
Where our gaze drifts, however, is to their wrists! Formula One races are marquee events on everyone’s calendar, but they are also grand showcases for the watch industry. Formula One and watchmaking have long been intertwined, a cocktail of heritage, innovation and luxury branding.
As the grid lines up, we at Watch Advice are celebrating with The Formula 1® Watch Week. Part history lesson, part watch-spotting, we are introducing the iconic brands that sponsor this remarkable sport. Today, we are shining a light on Richard Mille, one of the watch industry’s newest connections to motorsport.
Richard Mille’s History With Formula One
While Richard Mille’s brand history may be shorter than that of other established watch manufacturers, it has quickly become one of the most sought-after brands in the industry, while also excelling in high horology and exceptional engineering. Richard Mille founded the brand in 2001 with the goal of creating ultra-high-performance timepieces inspired by Formula One engineering and advanced materials science.
From the very beginning, Richard Mille positioned its watches as racing machines for the wrist. These timepieces make use of extremely lightweight materials such as titanium, Carbon TPT, and Quartz TPT, designed to handle extreme shock and real-world performance. With this philosophy in mind, it almost seems like a no-brainer for Richard Mille to become involved in the very foundation on which the brand was built, motorsport.
Richard Mille’s earliest motorsport connection came through Felipe Massa, who became one of the first high-profile athletes to wear a Richard Mille timepiece during races. Massa famously wore Richard Mille watches while driving in Formula One, something that was previously unheard of due to the extreme G forces involved. This concept of watches being built to be worn during competition soon became a defining philosophy for the brand.
What makes Richard Mille timepieces so impressive is not just the materials used, but also the processes involved in their construction. The watches are known for their extremely complex case architecture, often requiring dozens of machining processes and hundreds of individual components to assemble a single case.
Alongside this, many Richard Mille creations feature skeletonised dials, with the movements designed using a suspension-like architecture so that they appear to float within the case. These movements often use spline screws and titanium bridges, which offer not only structural integrity but also improved shock resistance, a key factor when the watch is worn during high-performance sports.
Richard Mille is the only watchmaker on the Formula One grid to sponsor two teams simultaneously. While we have covered the partnership with McLaren in our previous article (see here in case you missed it!). Now it’s time to focus on their partnership with Scuderia Ferrari. My favourite team on the grid, this partnership brings together two brands that share an obsession with engineering excellence, performance, and pushing technological boundaries.
Prior to Richard Mille, Scuderia Ferrari had a long-running partnership with Hublot, which officially ended in December 2020. Then in 2021, the ‘prancing horse’ signed a multi-year global partnership with Richard Mille, a collaboration which goes beyond sponsorship, with Richard Mille’s Formula One-inspired timepieces aligning perfectly with the heritage and presence of one of the most notable teams on the grid.
Ferrari’s design and engineering teams in Maranello worked directly with Richard Mille’s watchmakers during the development of the collaboration timepieces. What was heavily emphasised during the process was extreme performance, lightweight construction, and advanced materials. Core concepts that both powerhouses are all too familiar with.
“This meeting of minds is based on shared values and a common way of thinking. Both brands forge their inspiration in the effervescent crucible of technology, continually promoting age-old know-how and cutting-edge innovation in a search full of passion for unparalleled levels of excellence in their respective fields. It was precisely this shared quest for innovation that gave rise to the technical feat that is the RM UP-01, Richard Mille’s thinnest watch.”
Richard Mille on their partnership with Ferrari.
This RM UP-01 Ferrari was an incredible timepiece. Upon it’s released in 2022, it was a world-record-breaking watch, being the thinnest mechanical timepiece ever made at just 1.75mm. This has only been trumped by Bvlgari’s Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, released in 2024, sitting at an astonishing 1.70mm.
The fact that the first watch created by Richard Mille and Ferrari was a record-breaking timepiece speaks immense volume about their partnership. Demonstrated Richard Mille’s ability to push engineering limits, very similar to Ferrari’s approach to Formula One. This became not just another logo collaboration, but rather, we see the influence of Ferrari on the technical architecture as well as the engineering of the watch!
Richard Mille’s second collaborative timepiece with Ferrari came in 2025, when they unveiled the RM 43-01 Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph Ferrari. This was a completely different concept from the RM UP-01 Ferrari, whereby, rather than focusing on compression of the movement, it was about showcasing technical superiority. The timepiece featured one of watchmaking’s most complex combinations: a tourbillon combined with a split-seconds chronograph.
While the RM 43-01 Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph Ferrari showcased Richard Mille’s expertise in high-watchmaking, with a movement containing more than 500 components, and a case crafted in either titanium or Carbon TPT, the design of the watch also featured tributes to Ferrari. Elements like the bridges being inspired by Ferrari engine structures, pushers shaped to be like Ferrari SF90 taillights, and even the strap design inspired by the 488 Challenge EVO race car, all highlight the deep level of collaboration between the two brands, where automotive design and watchmaking engineering come together seamlessly.
Now, with a new season about to begin and new regulations coming into play, Scuderia Ferrari could well have a very competitive car on the grid this year, with whispers of further innovations set to be introduced as the season progresses. With everything still to play for, the stage is set for another thrilling chapter in Ferrari’s Formula One story, one that Richard Mille will undoubtedly be closely aligned with.
The Drivers & Their Watches
Driver Profile – Charles Leclerc
In the words of Richard Mille themselves, “Never before has a talent been so obvious at such a young age.”
Born on the 16th of October 1997 in Monte Carlo, Monaco, Charles Leclerc was destined to become a Formula 1 driver. Charles’ father, Hervé Leclerc, was heavily involved in motorsport, being a former racing driver who competed mainly in Formula 3 during the 1980s and 1990s. He played an immense role in Charles’ early karting career, supporting him to make sure his development exceeded expectations.
Although Hervé sadly passed away in 2017 before seeing his son reach Formula One, Leclerc would go on to honour that dream, becoming one of Ferrari’s brightest modern talents.
With close childhood friends and now rivals like Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, Leclerc’s progression through the ranks was in good hands. In 2009, Charles Leclerc became the Junior French champion before moving up to the KF3 category in 2010, to win the Junior Monaco Kart Cup.
After he secured first place for the 2016 GP3 Series championship and the 2017 Formula 2 Championship, he finally made his Formula 1 debut in 2018, with the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 team at the Australian Grand Prix. His results in the first season spoke volumes of his talent, as he secured points ten times in the season, having placed 7th three times throughout the championship!
Then, in 2019, came his big break. Signing for Scuderia Ferrari to replace Kimi Räikkönen, Charles Leclerc was the first Monegasque driver to earn pole position for the team. This same year, he secured his first Formula 1 victory, winning the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. This wasn’t to be the only win that season, either. He then went on to win what would be a very emotional victory for Ferrari, securing first place at the 2019 Italian Grand Prix in Monza.
From then on, he had a string of impressive performances, especially during the 2022 season, where he ultimately became the runner-up to Max Verstappen in the Driver’s World Championship. With all this considered, however, arguably his most memorable win came in 2024, when he won the Monaco Grand Prix.
The win was filled with pure emotion, as the Monaco-born driver secured victory on the very streets where his Formula One dream first began. For Leclerc, it was more than just another race win; it was a deeply personal moment, celebrated in front of his home crowd and marking one of the most meaningful victories of his career.
Charles Leclerc’s performances on track have made him one of Formula One’s standout talents. His relationship with Richard Mille reflects another side of his career. The Ferrari driver has long been associated with the brand, often sporting some of Richard Mille’s most innovative timepieces both on and off the circuit.
Richard Mille RM 67-02 Charles Leclerc
Looking at Richard Mille’s exclusive timepieces for other drivers on the grid, the 67-02 timepiece is a popular model that serves as the base for personalization. As we have seen already, the RM 67-02 is designed to be exceptionally lightweight and highly wearable, with the timepiece being adapted by several different athletes.
What makes each variant special is the incorporation of different colours and design cues to make them stand out beautifully. For Charles Leclerc, this is an obvious choice. If his choice in car customisation is anything to go by, he likes to integrate the colours of Monegasque (red and white) to proudly display his heritage.
This particular model features a white, ultra-light Quartz TPT case, with a movement that has been engineered to keep the weight to an absolute minimum. Originally developed as part of Richard Mille’s sports watch collection, the watch was designed to be worn during high-intensity activity, making it perfectly suited to elite athletes such as Leclerc.
Richard Mille RM 72-01 Charles Leclerc
The Richard Mille RM 72-01 Charles Leclerc is another key model in the Ferrari driver’s collection, this time offering a more complicated approach compared to the 67-02 edition above. This model was first introduced in 2020 as a dedicated timepiece for Charles Leclerc by Richard Mille. The timepiece represented an important milestone for the watchmaker, as it featured Richard Mille’s first fully in-house automatic flyback chronograph movement.
Following in the footsteps of the 67-02 Charles Leclerc edition, this RM 72-01 also features the official colours of Monaco, with red and white being proudly displayed on the Quartz TPT case. along with various red elements on the dial for the chronograph sub-counters and the date window. There is also other ‘subtle’ nods to Charles Leclerc, with the number 16 (his racing number) on the sub-counter done in blue, while the font for the numbers is executed in Scuderia Ferrari’s style.
Driver Profile – Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton needs little introduction. As one of the most succesful drives in Formula One History, the British racer has built a career that is defined by speed, consistent performances, and an unmatched competitive spirit. Few drivers have left a mark on this sport as Lewis Hamilton, with almost two decades spent at the top of Formula One.
Hamilton developed a keen interest in racing at a very young age, starting karting at just eight years old. The story goes that his father, Anthony Hamilton, worked multiple jobs to support his son’s racing ambitions, often making significant sacrifices to ensure Lewis could continue competing.
And these efforts didn’t go unnoticed. Hamilton was famously approached by Ron Dennis, the then-head of McLaren, telling him that he would love for the young driver to race for their team one day. This dream eventuated when McLaren signed him to their young driver programme in 1998, becoming one of the youngest talent ‘investments’ in Formula One.
Hamilton wasted no time with this opportunity, quickly rising through the ranks, winning the 2005 Formula 3 Euro Series Championship, followed by the 2006 GP2 championship, all in his rookie season. He then made his Formula One debut in 2007 for McLaren, immediately becoming one of the most promising rookies in F1 history. To put it into perspective, he missed out on winning the 2007 Drivers’ Championship by just one point!
In 2008, however, Lewis Hamilton was not going to make that same mistake. He became the Formula One World Champion, securing the title in a dramatic finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix. This was more than just an epic victory, too, as it made him the youngest world champion at the time, while also being the first Black driver to win in Formula One history.
Following on with more impressive performances, Hamilton decided it was time to switch from McLaren to Mercedes in 2013, a decision that went on to reshape the modern era of Formula One. This new partnership was total domination of the sport, with Hamilton winning a further six world championships in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. This set his total World Championships to seven, tying with the legendary Schumacher himself.
Outside this incredible feat, Lewis Hamilton also holds numerous Formula One records, which include most race wins, most pole positions, and also the most podium finishes! Known for his aggressive yet precise driving style, Hamilton has remained one of the sport’s most consistent performers over nearly two decades.
In 2025, Hamilton shocked the motorsporting world by announcing that he would be leaving the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team to join Scuderia Ferrari. He has always wanted to don the red, and now, nearing the end of his career, it seems fitting to send it off in style. While his first season was not exactly one to remember, it leaves room for significant improvement, both in his capabilities as a 7-time world champion and also with Scuderia Ferrari’s SF-26.
Switching from Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team to Scuderia Ferrari also means the watch sponsorship brand has changed from IWC Schaffhausen to Richard Mille. With Hamilton now part of the Ferrari stable, the British driver is expected to be seen wearing some of Richard Mille’s most technically advanced timepieces.
Richard Mille RM 74-02 Automatic Tourbillon
Not that Lewis Hamilton wouldn’t already have access to such timepieces, but one of the perks of driving for Scuderia Ferrari is being closely associated with some of Richard Mille’s extraordinary watches. Another standout timepiece seen on Hamilton’s wrist since joining the team is the Richard Mille RM 74-02 Automatic Tourbillon. The watch gained attention during the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix weekend in Shanghai, where Hamilton was spotted wearing the model while securing his first Sprint race victory for Scuderia Ferrari.
The engine behind the timepiece is an automatic tourbillon movement, a complication that has been specifically designed to improve timekeeping accuracy by counteracting the effects of gravity. The movement is housed within Richard Mille’s signature tonneau-shaped case and crafted using advanced materials such as Gold Quartz TPT or Carbon TPT, showcasing the brand’s mastery of lightweight yet durable construction. Much like Formula One engineering, the RM 74-02 balances extreme performance with intricate mechanical craftsmanship, making it a fitting choice for a seven-time world champion like Hamilton!
Richard Mille RM 43-01 ‘Ferrari Titanium’
Another remarkable timepiece associated with Lewis Hamilton since joining Scuderia Ferrari is the Richard Mille RM 43-01 “Ferrari Titanium.” As mentioned earlier in the article, this timepiece was developed as part of the ongoing collaboration between Richard Mille and Ferrari. It is one of the most technically advanced creations to have emerged from this partnership.
At the core of the timepiece is a tourbillon that is combined with a split-seconds chronograph, a pairing of complications that sit among the most complex in the world of watchmaking. This RM 43-01 showcases the level of exceptional technical and design expertise that Richard Mille is renowned for, perfectly mirroring the precision and technical innovation found in Scuderia Ferrari and, of course, Formula One.