RICHARD MILLE RM UP-01 FERRARI

  

Richard Mille RM UP-01

Richard Mille has just released the RM UP-01, a replica luxury watches designed in collaboration with Ferrari. This ultra-thin watch (1.75mm). Beyond its technical prowess (see video below), the watch marks a marketing turning point. This is our opportunity in this article to analyze the marketing of the RM UP-01 and the object's place in the luxury watch market that has exploded over the past 2 years.

Richard Mille RM UP-01 breaks fineness record at 0.05mm
First of all, it is worth mentioning that Richard Mille has pushed back a fineness record belonging to Bulgari to this day. At 1.75mm thick, the Richard Mille RM UP-01 is 0.05mm thinner than the Bulgari Octo Finissimo (1.8mm).

Marketing that emphasizes technical prowess...and respect for tradition
The official video for the Richard Mille RM UP-01 is an ode to technology and luxury codes. It shows a craftsman assembling watches on a table covered in black leather in a very romantic way (which, of course, does not correspond to reality).

The chosen semantics focus entirely on the technical strength of the "deciding design". The RM UP-01 watch is thus an "object" that wants to be different but still respects tradition (e.g. housing the movement in a "box"). The marketing message is calibrated to be in full alignment with that of the Scuderia Ferrari. The latter were at the cutting edge of technology and their car design was unique, but tradition and links to mythical models remained.replica watches for sale

Finally, we note that the process of engraving the Ferrari logo is exactly the summation of this value proposition. The collaboration is engraved on titanium with the help of a laser. We move away from classic watchmaking and move closer to the aerospace industry.

The RM UP-01 is an excellent positioning asset
Luxury watches, as the name suggests, are positioning commodities. They are designed to affirm the owner's social status and signal to others. Unlike other positional goods (cars, leather goods), watches remain an understated luxury that signals to connoisseurs. It is difficult for non-connoisseurs to recognize a luxury watch.

Significant differences
In this regard, the Richard Mille UP-01 appears to have several distinctive features. First, you don't forget that the RM UP-01 has a very unique format. It's more of a bracelet than a watch. Some would say that the reduction in thickness is accompanied by a necessary "expansion" in the length of the component. That's forgetting the Bulgari Octo Finissimo, which, despite its 1.8mm thickness, remains the size of a classic watch (40mm in diameter).

Thus, a true reflection of what this aesthetic code-breaking object sends as a central message. By making the UP-01 so "obtrusive", Richard Mille changed the paradigm of luxury watches. They are no longer just objects of concern for their owners, but must be hypervisible expressions of their owners' wealth in public places.

Highly visible partnership with Ferrari
Another visual feature of the RM UP-01 is of course the Ferrari logo. This isn't the first time a Ferrari team has had a watch partnership (Girard-Perregaux did at the time), but it may be the first time the logo has been shown in such a visible way. The Ferrari logo is becoming an attribute of the RM UP-01, especially in the space reserved for it. It's also worth noting that the Ferrari logo takes up more prominence than the dial that allows the time to be read. Thus, a hierarchy of value is observed on watches, where the reading of the time becomes secondary.

It is a fact that the luxury watch market has grown dramatically since 2020. Prices for Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe models are all soaring. A more detailed study of the different versions of the Patek Philippe Nautilus reveals that the steel version has seen the biggest jump. The value of items is no longer measured by the precious materials used.

Purely technical marketing niche
The popularity of luxury replica swiss watches these days is less a matter of considerations related to watchmaking heritage than a matter of brand marketing. Richard Mille may be the poster child for this new dynamic. Its recent history, efforts to differentiate, and marketing excellence have led to price spikes. The RM UP-01 is part of this dynamic. It is no longer strictly a watch, but a unique technical bracelet co-branded with Ferrari that also tells the time. It is placed in a niche market with no competitors.