Richard Mille’s support for Les Voiles de St Barth regatta stretches back to its debut in 2010. The event, which has since gone on to host thousands of sailors, now attracts around 80 crews annually from all over the world. With both the 2020 and 2021 regattas cancelled due to the pandemic, Richard Mille was keen to continue its support regardless.
So this year, the brand has created the RM 60-01 Automatic Flyback Chronograph Les Voiles de St Barth, a sporty watch in a limited edition of 80 pieces. Cast in the regatta’s colours, it is equipped with all the complications sea voyagers could need. A rotating bezel allows the wearer to identify their direction without the need for a separate compass; when the second hour hand – which tells the time in a different time zone – is pointed towards the sun, and the rotating bezel is set so the the local hour is shown, the compass headings of North, South, East and West point in the correct directions.
‘We always focus on the useability of our watches, and when we originally developed the RM 60-01 we were advised by one of the head organisers of Les Voiles de St Barth, who has pretty much sailed all corners of the Earth,’ says Richard Mille marketing director Tim Malachard. ‘This is the kind of interaction we relish as it makes us stick to the fundamentals of exactly which functions are vital to any passionate sailor, and to avoid any gimmicks in the process.’
Previously, every winner of the regatta received a Richard Mille watch, but with no event this year, the brand is donating the proceeds from the sale of an RM 60-01 to local causes in St Barths. ‘It was natural to us to [offer] support after the event was once again postponed in 2021,’ adds Malachard. ‘Our relationship with the organisers is a genuine partnership and we are working together to make 2022 an incredible edition after such troubled times.’ §