Richard Mille’s New Sports Watch Introduces a Feature for Tracking the World’s Most Popular Sport

Richard Mille, perhaps more than any other brand, can lay claim to the ambiguous term “sports watches.”

The brand’s watches may be ostentatious, oversized and incredibly expensive, but no one can ever accuse them of needing to be babied. Richard Mille makes athletic instruments that have often been worn in the heat of professional competition by legendary athletes like Rafa Nadal, Odell Beckham Jr., Bubba Watson and more.

RM’s latest watch might be its most sports-specific model yet, as it debuts a pair of complications that were developed specifically to keep track of a soccer match.

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Gooooooaaallllll

The new Richard Mille RM 41-01 Tourbillon Soccer, like all RM watches, is completely insane. Including the case and strap, the watch is made up of close to 800 components, with a whopping 650 of those coming from the movement (the case also has 105 components, which is just ludicrous).

I’ll start with the movement, because that’s where all of the soccer — or fútbol — nerdiness comes into play (no pun intended).

The new in-house Calibre RM41-01 hand-wound movement took Richard Mille five years to develop, and it has a number of unique things about it. Made almost entirely out of Grade 5 titanium, much of it PVD coated in black, blue or 5N rose gold, it is heavily skeletonized, meaning much of its complications are fully visible from the dial side.

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This includes the 70-hour power reserve indicator at 1:00 (note how the mainspring barrel looks like a soccer ball), the 60-second tourbillon escapement at 7:00 and the function indicator at 4:00. This RM-exclusive shows which mode the crown is in: W for winding mode, N for neutral, where it spins freely, and H for hand-setting.

The movement has a flyback chronograph function with both the seconds and minute hands mounted centrally. Each is labeled with an “M” or “S” on the counterweight, so you don’t get them mixed up, and they’re operated via the pushers on the left side of the case.

At 9:00, you’ll see the new match time display. This rotating bar has four sides labeled 1st Half, 1st Overtime, 2nd Half and 2nd Overtime. When the match starts, you start the chronograph, which will begin tracking the time of the first half.

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At the start of the first extra period and all subsequent periods, hit the flyback button, and the match time display will automatically advance to the next period as the chronograph instantly resets and starts again. The chronograph and flyback function each use their own dedicated column wheel, ensuring superbly crisp action.

The other new complication is a mechanical goal counter. There are two displays on the dial, one for the home team at 11:00 and one for the visiting team at 5:00, with each capable of tracking up to nine goals before resetting to zero.

These indicators are controlled by the pushers on the right side of the case, which are labeled “Home” and “Visitor.” Whenever the home team scores, press the pusher at 2:00 to advance the arrow on the goal counter one spot. When the visitors score, do the same with the pusher at 4:00.

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The movement and its one-of-a-kind complications are the obvious headliner here, but Richard Mille also decided to introduce a brand-new case material for the RM 41-01. Working in tandem with its partner, North Thin Ply Technology, RM has created Basalt TPT. A composite made of very thin, compressed layers of basalt volcanic rock. The material is resistant to chemicals, corrosion, UV light and is thermally stable.

It’s also quite attractive, with the finished product exhibiting a wood-like appearance that can take on rich colors. Here, it’s executed in burgundy. We know the material performs, too, as this watch has withstood the brand’s 120 internal shock tests, including the “ultimate 5,000 G trial” where a fast-moving hammer smacks the watch off a pedestal with the force of 5,000 Gs.

In addition to the Basalt TPT version, Richard Mille has a second Tourbillon Soccer in trusty Blue Quartz TPT. Both models feature Carbon TPT midcases with titanium pushers protected by rose gold guards, integrated rubber straps and a massive, torque-limiting crown styled with a soccer ball’s hexagonal pattern.

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Availability and pricing

If you have to ask how much it costs, it’s too much. But unfortunately, that’s the only way you’re getting the price of the RM 41-01, because it’s only available by request.

The watch’s availability is easier to nail down, but no more attainable. Each of the two colors is limited to just 30 pieces worldwide.

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Richard Mille RM 41-01 Tourbillon Soccer

Specs

Case Size	43.23mm x 49.65mm
Movement	Richard Mille Cal. RM41-01 manual-wind flyback chronograph tourbillon soccer timer
Water Resistance	50m

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