Pre-Owned Richard Mille Richard Mille RM034 40991765/AS09307

In the world of watches, what makes an icon? In our eyes, it’s familiarity.

The Omega Speedmaster, Cartier Tank and Rolex Submariner –– all are easily discernible from across the room regardless of identifying the brand name or logo. It’s their distinct features and recognizable silhouettes that give the watch away instantaneously. Another brand following the same trajectory and known for its own discernible features –– Richard Mille.

In 1999, a nearly 50-year-old watchmaker with decades of experience struck out on his own. His creations would soon change the face of horology forever. Richard Mille’s timepieces have since garnered fame, stirred controversy, and been spotted on the wrists of actors, athletes, musicians, and celebrities around the world.

Technologically advanced, highly sophisticated, super limited, and priced like luxury automobiles, these watches are the face of a revolution that has followed in the brand’s wake. Indeed, the global success of the ‘high-end independents’ can, in part, be attributed to the embrace that RM has received over the past two decades by collectors, connoisseurs, and watch lovers around the world. 

The company’s first product, the RM001, was a revelation in contemporary watchmaking. Conceptually, this semi-prototype sought to bridge the automotive and horological worlds by incorporating lightweight aerospace industry sourced materials, innovative complications, and a design that spoke as much to the influence of hypercars as it did the history of the Vallée de Joux.

Since the resounding success of their inaugural piece, Richard Mille has continued to break the mould and challenge the norm of how a wrist watch should look and more importantly feel on the wrist –– we stress the latter because experiencing some of RM’s ultra-light casing material in the metal is a completely unique experience unto itself. 

This particular Richard Mille, a Reference RM033 AL RG, happens to be an anomaly amongst a collection primarily comprised of tonneau-shaped, highly technical machines. It speaks an entirely different design language than were used to seeing from RM, featuring a more trim round case silhouette and slim, dressier profile. That said, the foundational elements still remain — an openworked dial, high-grade material usage, and a side of design panache that we’ve come to expect from the manufacture.

The 45mm case is comprised of three-parts secured together by sixteen Grade 5 titanium screws and is made entirely out of 18k rose gold. Unlike its taller, sportier siblings, this refined piece sits just 6mm off of the wrist and features a winding cabochon crown with a rose gold inset, a sapphire crystal with printed Arabic quadrant indices, a matching ‘dauphine’ handset and of course their signature skeletonized dial displaying Richard Mille’s self-winding Calibre RMXP1 built with an off-center micro rotor and PVD-treated titanium bridges.

It comes fitted on a signed integrated rubber strap with a silky-smooth leaf-spring titanium deployant with signed 18k rose gold fold over buckle and is accompanied by its box set, papers and a warranty document dated 2018. 

The RM033 is not a technical demonstration, rather an elegant proposition – an off-the-beaten-path choice for those looking to add a Richard Mille to their collection.