Richard Mille returns to the Le Mans Classic with a bold, high-performance creation that blends avant-garde mechanics and motorsport heritage. The new RM 30-01 Le Mans Classic is more than a tribute—it’s a showcase of what happens when watchmaking meets race engineering, limited to just 150 pieces.
A Brand Built on Extreme Performance
Founded in 2001, Richard Mille quickly redefined the world of haute horlogerie by introducing watches that combined lightweight materials, extreme mechanical complexity, and a resolutely modern aesthetic. The brand’s long-standing partnership with the Le Mans Classic, a biennial celebration of endurance racing legends, began in 2002. Over the years, these special editions have become collector favorites, and the new RM 30-01 continues this tradition with a distinct, motorsport-driven identity.
Technical Innovation: The Declutchable Rotor Returns
At the core of the RM 30-01 Le Mans Classic lies the Calibre RMAR2, a skeletonized automatic movement featuring one of Richard Mille’s most fascinating mechanisms: a declutchable rotor. This system disengages the rotor once the mainspring is fully wound, optimizing performance and reducing unnecessary stress. A clutch engagement indicator on the dial shows when the rotor is active, while the function selector lets the wearer switch between winding, date, and time-setting modes with a simple push. The movement baseplate and bridges are crafted in grade 5 titanium, ensuring both strength and lightness.
A unique 24-hour counter with a green “16” nods to the traditional 4PM start time of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, reinforcing the connection to racing. All of this is housed within a bold titanium case, paired with a striking Green Quartz TPT caseband and secured with a green rubber strap.
Track-Inspired Design and Lifestyle
The RM 30-01 Le Mans Classic is visually aggressive, unmistakably modern, and unapologetically sporty. The openworked dial evokes the curves of a racetrack, while the green and white color palette pays homage to the official Le Mans Classic livery. This is a watch that wears its automotive inspiration on its sleeve—literally.
Designed for collectors, racers, and those who live in the fast lane, this watch is not about quiet luxury but about engineering in motion. With its large 42mm x 49.94mm presence and ergonomic shape, it hugs the wrist while making a clear statement: this is a tool for those who appreciate performance-driven design, both on and off the track.
Price, Availability, and Final Thoughts
Limited to 150 numbered pieces, the Richard Mille RM 30-01 Le Mans Classic is available exclusively through Richard Mille boutiques and select partners. The retail price is around $278,000 USD, in line with the brand’s position at the intersection of horology and advanced engineering.
As a mechanical celebration of endurance racing and watchmaking prowess, this new RM 30-01 represents everything collectors expect from Richard Mille—technical depth, visual power, and exclusivity. It’s a watch made not just to mark time, but to celebrate every second lived at full throttle. Thanks for reading—see you trackside, or perhaps at the next starting line. In a very different – and somewhat similar – way, Hublot released one of its boldest watches, right in time for the summer !
