Fourteen-time Formula One World champion for Ferrari and current International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Jean Todt has been affiliated with Richard Mille since 2013, the year the Swiss watchmaker and Todt collaborated for their first release, the RM-036 Tourbillon G-Sensor Jean Todt.
Now Richard Mille has set out to honor the 50th anniversary of Todt’s professional racing career with three special edition timepieces, each crafted in Todt’s honor.
The first limited-edition example is a take on the RM 11-03 automatic flyback chronograph that boasts a comfortable 55-hour power reserve. The watch is blue; the baseplate and bridges are made from grade-five titanium, and the case is carved from TPT Quartz. This edition will be limited to 150 examples, with each fetching $140,000.
The next Jean Todt 50th Anniversary example is a special edition of the RM 050, with a TPT Quartz case also in blue (it’s Todt’s favorite color). At 50mm, the case of the RM 050 is much larger than the relatively small 30.25mm RM 11-03. The RM 050 is a split-seconds chronograph featuring a tourbillon with a super-light 9.5-gram RMCC1 caliber crafted from carbon nanofiber and titanium; this model is skeletonized. Only five examples of this watch will be manufactured, and there is no price available.
The last of the special Todt trio of timepieces is a new take on the RM 056. The watch is similar to the original, except instead of TPT Quartz, the case is made from solid sapphire that takes up to 40 days to craft. It is the first time an ambassador’s name has been attached to this particular Richard Mille piece. Only three of the special Jean Todt 50th Anniversary RM 056s will be made; they will be priced accordingly.