Richard Mille Honors Felipe Massa with Limited Edition Watches
When Brazilian Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa made his 40th trip to the podium at last weekend’s Austrian GP, watchmaker Richard Mille was on hand with a special gift for his old friend. After all, it’s been ten years since Massa became the first celebrity ambassador to add his name to the Mille brand.
Back in 2005, Mille commemorated the partnership with the RM 006 Felipe Massa. This time around, the watchmaker has gone one better by marking the 10th anniversary with the release of two limited edition timepieces, the RM 056 and RM 011.
Massa has been hard on his watches, becoming the first driver to wear a tourbillon watch through an entire F1 season in 2005. Since then, the Brazilian driver has inspired Mille’s RM Felipe Massa Flyback Chronograph and Richard Mille RM 056 Felipe Massa Sapphire.
Now Mille has updated both models as a 10th anniversary tribute with an exclusive pair of memorable watches. The RM 056 tourbillon is encased in a single block of sapphire that required 1000 hours to cut and polish. This case gives a panoramic view of the mechanics inside including a power reserve, torque indicator and split-seconds chronograph.
The RM 011, crafted entirely in hand-finished grade 5 titanium, features a 60-minute flyback chronograph, annual calendar and countdown function, all inside Richard Mille’s exclusive NTPT Carbon Case.
The flanges, push-pieces, crowns and transfers of these pieces appear in Massa’s racing colors of blue and yellow. The RM 056 will be produced in a very limited edition of just ten pieces while 100 pieces of the RM 011 will be available. All watches will have Felipe Massa’s signature engraved on the back.
Fine luxury watches and racing have been a great team for decades and Richard Mille intends to keep that partnership going. “My watches are conceived and built with the F1 technological spirit inside of them,” he said. “in the same manner as the cars are built.”
