There’s a New World’s Thinnest Watch in Town, and It’s a Ferrari

Richard Mille has a collaboration with an Italian stallion that is a technological wonder.

Danny was the author of the original article on Hodinkee.

The new record-holder for the world's thinnest watch was unveiled in the summer. It was just a few months ago. That's when the watch was made, and it was the lightest watch ever made. There is a new champion in town thanks to a partnership between Richard Mille and Ferrari. The new standard for measuring razor-thin watches is called the RM UP-01Ferrari. The new ultra-thin timepiece is only 1.75mm in thickness and less than a tenth of a millimeter in diameter.

Instead of the caseback doubling as a baseplate which is the usual procedure, the entire movement has been put into the case. There are hours, minutes, seconds, and a function selector spread across the broad, impossibly thin case design. The movement plate used for this watch has been skeletonized and subjected to a number of strength tests which allow it to survive over 5000 Gs of force.

The movement was developed by two people. The titanium variable inertia balance wheel allowed for a reduction in thickness without losing any of the function and capability. The new ultra-flat escapement eliminates the guard pin and safety roller in favor of a single anchor fork. The fork was modified so that it could be used for that purpose.

There is a time indication at the center of the case shape. The main time display is the center of attention. A crown that allows the user to select between winding or setting is located on and integrated into this large piece of furniture. The crown is used to complete the setting or winding. There are two black ceramic inserts around the crowns that help with water resistance and are rated to 10 meters.

The dial for the time and the dial for the balance are covered with a crystal that is anti-reflective. The rest of the case design is similar to racing with a large segment in the middle of a hole.

Potential buyers will pay $1,888,000 for the 150 pieces of the RM UP-01.

What We Think

A world record is something that everyone loves. It's crazy that we are seeing this watch so soon after the announcement. By the time the watch was announced, you have to think that this was already in the prototype phase. Despite the ubiquity of the watch world today, brands are still pushing the boundaries of what can be.

There's a caveat to that enthusiasm. The watches aren't meant for the mass- market consumer. In the case of Richard Mille, we are talking about a brand that makes watches that cost a million dollars for a player. There is a line between collecting and appreciation when records are broken. Unless you live a lifestyle where you can find $2 million dollars under a couch cushion, the price tag on this limited run of record-breaking thinness takes this out of the realm of attainability for most people. This is still cool despite that.

There is a difference between this new watch and the others. Both of those brands used the case as the baseplate, instead of the other way around. It's remarkable to me. This is ridiculous, as most of the brand ambassadors wear the watches while they play their respective sports, but it's still crazy. The fact that the brand has gone the extra steps to ensure both water and shock resistance is a marvel.

This is more of an exercise in engineering than it is a cool thing to do.

Say what you will about the brand, but you have to appreciate the fact that you are leaning hard into this one. In order to effectuate optimal thinness, it has shown a commitment to subverting traditional movement design. I can't wait to see it in the metal.

The Basics

The brand is called Richard Mille.

A model of a car.

The diameter is 51,00 x 39,00 x 1,75mm.

There is a thickness of 1.7mm.

The case is made of grade 5 titanium.

The dial color is black.

There are white markers in the index.

The water resistance is 10 meters.

The strap is a racelet.

The Movement

The Caliber is called RMUP-01.

The functions are hours, minutes, seconds.

The thickness is 1.18mm.

The power reserve is 45 hours.

Winding is done in a manual way.

The Frequency is 4 Hz.

There are jewels.

Pricing & Availability

The price is $2,088,000.

It's not available at this time.

There is a limited edition that contains 150 pieces.

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