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In most cases, you'll get a personalized quote in seconds and your policy kicks in immediately.
Wherever you are on planet Earth, your watches are protected. Rest easy and travel safely.
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Each of your watches is covered up to 150% of the insured value (up to the total value of the policy).
Our quotes are based on historical sales and real-time market data allowing us to give fair prices without all the hassle.
The fastest and most secure way to protect the watches you love.
We've minimized the paperwork and maximized protection, so you can stop worrying about your watches and focus on enjoying them.
In most cases, you'll get a personalized quote in seconds and your policy kicks in immediately.
Wherever you are on planet Earth, your watches are protected. Rest easy and travel safely.
If you suffer a covered loss, there's no deductible and no gimmicks. Ever.
Each of your watches is covered up to 150% of the insured value (up to the total value of the policy).
Our quotes are based on historical sales and real-time market data allowing us to give fair prices without all the hassle.
The fastest and most secure way to protect the watches you love.
We've minimized the paperwork and maximized protection, so you can stop worrying about your watches and focus on enjoying them.
In most cases, you'll get a personalized quote in seconds and your policy kicks in immediately.
Wherever you are on planet Earth, your watches are protected. Rest easy and travel safely.
If you suffer a covered loss, there's no deductible and no gimmicks. Ever.
Each of your watches is covered up to 150% of the insured value (up to the total value of the policy).
Our quotes are based on historical sales and real-time market data allowing us to give fair prices without all the hassle.
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Mere months after Bulgari claimed the title, there's a new record-holder in town.
It feels like only months ago that Bulgari unveiled the new record-holder for the world's thinnest watch. And that's because it was just a few months ago – in March, to be exact. That's when the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra clocked in at 1.80mm in thickness, making it the thinnest watch ever made. Well, there's a new champ in town, courtesy of a partnership between Richard Mille and Ferrari. The RM UP-01 Ferrari, announced today, is the new standard by which razor-thin watchmaking is measured. This new ultra-thin timepiece is a mere 1.75mm in thickness beating out Bulgari by a walloping 0.05mm.
Unlike Bulgari (and past record-holder Piaget), RM has assembled the entire movement, itself just 1.18mm thick, into the case – instead of the caseback doubling as a baseplate which is the usual procedure. The ultra-flat Calibre RMUP-01 features hours, minutes, seconds, and a function selector all spread across the broad, impossibly thin, case design. The movement plate used for this watch is skeletonized and underwent a litany of strength tests which allow it to withstand accelerations of over 5,000 Gs.
The movement was developed between RM and Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi. Part of this development involved rethinking the escapement by building a titanium variable inertia balance wheel, which allowed for a reduction in thickness without losing any of the function and capability. Where a traditional escapement contains a guard pin and safety roller to protect the lever from shock, according to RM, "The new patented ultra-flat escapement eliminates both parts and situates the banking function directly to the anchor fork. To do so, the fork itself was elongated and its horns modified."
The case shape is something of a rounded rectangle with the time indication located at the center of the top half. Everything surrounding the main time display is effectively the bezel. Located on and integrated into this vast bezel is the function selector – a crown that allows the user to select between winding or setting. The actual setting or winding is completed via the crown, just beneath the function sector. Surrounding both crowns are two black ceramic inserts that protect the bezel from friction and aid in water resistance (the watch is rated to 10m).
Both the dial for the time and the dial for the balance are covered with a sapphire crystal complete with anti-reflective coating on both sides. The rest of the case design is industrial-meets-racing with a large segment relegated to the Ferrari logo inside of a divot.
The RM UP-01 is limited to 150 pieces and will set potential buyers back a cool $1,888,000.
Who doesn't love a world record? I think it's positively insane that we are seeing this watch so soon after the announcement of the Bulgari Ultra. You have to think that RM had this in the prototyping phase by the time that watch was announced. It's really amazing to see, despite so much ubiquity in the watch world today, that brands are continuing to push the limits of what watchmaking can be.
Now, that enthusiasm comes with a caveat. None of these record-thin watches are meant for the mass-market consumer. In the case of Richard Mille, we are talking about the brand that makes tourbillons with tennis-string dials for Rafael Nadal that cost a cool million. It's in these moments – when records get broken – that watch enthusiasts find the line between collecting and sheer appreciation. The price tag on this limited run of record-breaking thinness takes this out of the realm of attainability for basically everyone (unless you happen to live the kind of lifestyle where you might find $2 million dollars under a couch cushion). But that doesn't make this any less cool.
The differentiating factor between this new watch and the other contenders at Bulgari and Piaget, is the case. Both of those brands used the case as the baseplate, whereas RM (along with APRP) were able to build the entire movement, mainplate and all, inside a closed case. That, to me, is remarkable. I mean, RM watches are known for their crazy lightness and capability (most RM brand ambassadors wear the watches while they play their respective sports) but this is just ridiculous. Aside from the lightness of the titanium, the fact that the brand has gone the extra steps to ensure both water- and shock-resistance is a marvel.
Sure, this is at least as much an exercise in engineering as watchmaking, but boy if it isn't a cool one.
Say what you will about RM – a brand that typically makes watches upwards of $500k – but you have to appreciate it for leaning hard into this one. With the Calibre RMUP-01 it has shown a real commitment to subverting traditional movement design in order to effectuate optimal thinness. One thing is for sure, I can't wait to see this one in the metal.
Stay with HODINKEE, as we will have continuing coverage of this new champion of thinness.
Brand: Richard Mille Model: RM UP-01 Ferrari
Diameter: 51,00 x 39,00 x 1,75mm Thickness: 1.75mm Case Material: Grade 5 Titanium Dial Color: Black Indexes: White markers Water Resistance: 10m Strap/Bracelet: Strap
Caliber: RMUP-01 Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, function selector Thickness: 1.18mm Power Reserve: 45 hours Winding: Manual Frequency: 4Hz Jewels: 23
Price: $1,888,000 Availability: TBD Limited Edition: Yes, 150 pieces
Correction: The story originally reported the water resistance of the case as 100M. The actual water resistance is 10M. Story updated.
To learn more about Richard Mille watches, visit the brand's website.
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