Richard Mille, in collaboration with Ferrari, has released the RM UP-01, billed as being the ‘thinnest mechanical watch in the world’.
“In terms of casing, watchmaking standards stipulate a minimum section thickness of 0.35 mm in certain places. However, we are sometimes at 0.18 mm of material here,” says Julien Boillat, Richard Mille’s technical director of cases and exteriors:
“Extensive laboratory testing was necessary to ensure the components offered the needed strength despite this reduction in material at strategic points such as the caseband and caseback.”
According to the Richard Mille website, it took many year’s work, dozens of prototypes and more than 6,000 hours of development and laboratory testing to create the record-breaking timepiece.
The watch has a 45-hour power reserve and is water resistant up to 10 metres.
Bulgari previously held the record, with its 1.80mm thick Octo Finissimo Ultra, released last year.
