Finnish driver Kimi Räikkönen has had an amazing two decades in motorsport. He’s raced with some of the biggest teams in the business, from Benneton and McLaren to Ferrari and now, Alfa Romeo. Aside from his talent behind the wheel, he’s known for enjoying the finer things in life. Today, he’s in for a treat – he’s got his very own Richard Mille watch named after him.
Taking their partnership with Formula One team Alfa Romeo Racing to the next level, luxury watchmaker Richard Mille has just announced their newest watch — RM 50-04 Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph Kimi Räikkönen.
The new watch will be launched at the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend whcih will coincidently be the Finn’s 307th start in Formula One. The 2007 F1 world champion’s 18-year career has seen him on 103 podium finishes.
RM 50-04 details
The new RM 50-04 is fitted with a split-seconds chronograph tourbillon and a grade-5 titanium and Carbon TPT movement that weighs just 7 grams.
Shedding light on the entire watchmaking process behind this piece Richard Mille, the statement said:
“To combine these complications within a single mechanism required perfect transmission of energy to ensure faultless operation. The need to reduce friction led the research team to improve the profile of the teeth on the barrel and the second wheel pinion. The latter led to an excellent distribution of torque and an optimised output. The combination of the tourbillon escapement and the chronograph paired with the unprecedented fine skeletonisation make this particularly innovative watch the absolute chronograph perfection.”
The colours of the Alfa Romeo C38 single-seater car are also showcased on the bezel and case back in white Quartz TPT.
This the luxury watchmaker says this is achieved by interlaying 600 layers of silicon each 45 microns thick and impregnating them with a white matrix before heating them to 120 °C in an autoclave. This process gives the material a very high resistance/weight ratio, non-allergenic properties, and resistance to UV rays.
Flashes of red are visible within the movement, particularly on the Carbon TPT flange, the chronograph counters, and the power-reserve, torque and function indicators.
The grade-5 titanium dial also includes the number 7, which is worn by Räikkönen while competing on track.
But to be on the wrist of an F1 driver the watch needs to have something special: the ability to withstand impacts of 5,000 g’s. And this one definitely has that special something.
There will be only 30 pieces of this watch available.
This new partnership doesn’t come as a surprise. Richard Mille, the CEO of the eponymous, luxury watch brand loves all things motorsport.
In just Formula One, Mille has partnered with drivers from Charles Leclerc, Felipe Masssa who has his own Richard Mille watch named after him— RM 009 Felipe Massa, Fernando Alonso to F2 driver Mick Schumacher, and F1 teams Mclaren Racing, Alfa Romeo Racing and Haas F1 team.
