Bal Harbour

BAL HARBOUR 145 XXX Clockwise from top left: the RM 27-04 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal; Amanda Mille and Margot Laffite in the 2022 Rallye des Princesses Richard Mille; Richard Mille Racing Team's 2021 pilots Beitske Visser, Tatiana Calderón and Sophia Flörsch; RM 07-01 Ladies Automatic in 18K red gold and gem-set white ceramic; show jumper Flore Giraud wearing RM 07-01 in Carbon TPT and Titanium. WATCH MARKET WHILE SPOTLIGHTING TWO "You have to look at yourself and try to understand what you're doing wrong." In 2014, Mille saw an opportunity to marry her hospitality experience with her intimate knowledge of the brand. The solution seemed simple: spend time with women and let the brand's story and innovation sell themselves. "I don't think women realized the brand had so much to offer them." It would be easy to say she was a natural but, according to Mille, "I have way more to prove than other people working for the brand." Her first sense that her approach was working came when she sold a watch to a woman. "It wasn't a gentleman buying it for her. That was a big win for me." Not long after, headquarters reported that Richard Mille was first in women's sales worldwide. The most popular women's watch is its smallest, the 0701, but Mille's favorite model to wear and sell is the 37. "It's a bigger watch. In 2014, no one thought this would work, but I'm happy we kept it in the collection." Now, women's models account for 35 percent of total brand sales. With a booming women's market and an ever-growing stable of brand partners, Mille has kept busy. Richard Mille is one of the few corporate sponsors that doesn't end a contract when an athlete or star's career falters or comes to an end. "We still have so much to do together," she says. Nadal, for example—one of the most particular players in tennis history—is ritualistic about the smallest details of his matches, including where he places his water bottle on the court and how he brushes his hair out of his face before a serve. Yet he was willing to test- drive his first Richard Mille collaboration on the court at the French Open. He's worn his watches in competition ever since, sometimes exploding new prototypes mid-play. These acts of trust have helped facilitate some of the brand's biggest leaps in shock-resistance technology (Nadal's new RM 27-04 weighs only 30 grams including the strap and can resist 12,000 Gs of force). Richard Mille plans to show their gratitude for his unparalleled contribution long after he steps off the court. "It's a family for both good days and bad," says Mille. "I call them life partners because that's how I feel about them." Soon, they'll invite their collaborative "family" home to the brand's newest venture: a house in La Motte, France, near Draguignan, where her father grew up. After leaving the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (the annual invitation-only luxury watch trade show held in Geneva), the new house is a more personal approach to debuting new models, meeting with talent and building brand awareness. At the moment, Mille is producing the house's remodel, with hopes to open in 2024. No doubt, another beautiful rebellion is underway. RICHARD MILLE HAS UPENDED THE LUXURY UNDERSERVED MARKETS: SPORTS AND WOMEN PHOTOS COURTESY OF RICHARD MILLE

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