By Jovan Krstevski
Word’s out of the bag; Richard Mille has quietly slipped a new limited-edition ticker onto the scene, the RM72-01 “Charles Leclerc”. This spanking new chronograph, a collaboration with the Scuderia Ferrari’s main man, has been doing the rounds on Leclerc’s wrist for weeks, flying under the radar until eagle-eyed observers finally cottoned on.
Wrapped in white Quartz TPT with streaks of red like speed lines in a comic book, the case is an ode to Leclerc’s homeland flag. It’s sized at 38.4mm x 11.68mm, though those numbers hardly capture its wrist presence. Lightweight yet brawny, the caseband carries on the color story, while the crown, resembling a tire under hard acceleration, feels like a sly nod to the F1 grid.
The skeletonized dial tosses numerals overboard in favor of a stripped-down display drenched in red and white. The running seconds and chronograph counters follow suit, soaked in the same Monegasque palette. A date window framed in matching hues keeps things symmetrical, while lume on the hands and indices lends a bit of practical sparkle when the lights go down.
Ticking beneath it all is the CRMC-1, an automatic flyback chronograph movement with a column-wheel setup, a fast-spinning mainspring barrel and a platinum rotor riding on ceramic bearings. It hums along at 28,800vph with a 50-hour power reserve, sporting a CuBe balance and a transparent INCABLOC shock system.
The watch is paired with a rubber strap that keeps things sporty, without screaming for attention. Price tag, a bracing $330,000. Limited to 150 pieces and already finding homes, this is one of those watches that’s here now, gone tomorrow. Quietly flamboyant, if such a thing exists.
