Richard Mille’s RM UP-01 Ferrari is a Triumph in Technical Watchmaking

Things move fast in motorsport racing. And Ferrari makes some of the fastest competition cars on the circuit. But in an arena where winning often comes down to a fraction of second, horsepower and driving skill alone isn’t enough to shave down lap times. It takes potent engineering and cutting-edge technology to achieve the next level of breakneck speeds.

So it’s only fitting that Richard Mille — whose watches are known as “racing machines on the wrist” — pushes pedal to the metal in terms of technical watchmaking for their first collaboration with the Italian automotive legend. The RM UP-01 Ferrari knocks an astounding 0.05mm off the previous record for horological ultra-thinness, claiming the title with a spectacular 1.75mm thick profile.

“UP” stands for “ultra plat”, or “ultra flat” in French. And within this sliver-thin case, an entire movement is assembled and contained. Unlike past record holders who opted to use the caseback as a baseplate to achieve absolute flatness, Richard Mille was determined to preserve separate movement and case by radically rearranging its components instead — an undertaking that took over 6,000 developmental hours and dozens of prototypes.

The result is a wholly futuristic expression with four main apertures on the watch face: hours and minutes at the center, exposed balance on the right, and two sprockets on the left to select and apply the time adjustment and winding functions sans crown. Other height-reducing measures include the patented ultra-flat barrel fitted with an extraordinarily fine hairspring, as well as a new patented escapement with an entirely redesigned architecture.

The tonneau case, baseplate and skeletonized bridges are crafted in Grade 5 titanium to ensure structural integrity even in accelerations of more than 5,000G, and is exemplary of the collaboration between watch and automaker. Limited to 150 pieces, the RM UP-01 Ferrari definitely captures the competitive spirit of its prestigious marque in terms of performance, strength and aesthetics.

Elsewhere, Richard Mille introduces the cheerful RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smiley.