I have a question regarding Richard Mille watches. Enormous hype has recently surrounded the brand. I understand their movements are manufactured by Renaud & Papi, and there is no doubt that they are very innovative in their movements, designs and materials.
At the same time, the prices they ask for their watches are far greater than the averageRoyal Oak Offshore. What are your thoughts and opinions of the brand and its watches?
Richard Mille, the man, is a bon vivant in every sense of the world, leading the life most of the readers of this website only dream about. He is always showing up at classic car races, sailing regattas and high-society soirees with a supermodel on his arm and rap stars fawning for his attention. Not bad for a short, bald watchmaker. For leading exactly the life he wants, I cannot fault him and, in fact, I applaud him. We should all lead such a charmed life.
Richard Mille, the watch brand, mimics its namesake in appeal and style. The watches are designed for shock value (and for measuring shock in some cases) instead of legibility, and would be suitable to wear with virtually nothing besides a neon tennis jersey. It would be easy to dismiss Richard Mille as a brand built merely on hype and celebrity, but this is one case in which the timepieces back it up with tour de force innovation, even if they are built for ludicrous scenarios.
Would I ever wear a Richard Mille watch? If you’ve read even a handful of my columns, you know the answer to that. If not, let’s just say my tastes run to the more subtle and classic.
Graduation Watch For The Wealthy
Dear Snob,
Before I begin my question, I will inform you that I am a high school student born into a very wealthy family on Fifth Avenue in New York, and I must say you do belong in my building because you are most definitely an ultimate snob. I am graduating in a couple of weeks, and am looking to get a graduation watch as a gift. To be honest, being 18 years old, I really don't want to wear more than a £16,000 watch at this age, regardless if my parents will be willing to pay for more. I am open to both dress andsport watches at this stage.
As much as I dislike Rolex (only because I hate when the first thing people ask me when I wear a nice watch is, "Hey, nice Rolex"), the only model I care for is the Milgauss GV. I am also a big fan of the Royal Oak 2121, because I'd much rather be able to respond, "No, this is actually an AP." It's my first choice at this point, and I do remember you saying it could currently be the best movement in the world. The last watch on my mind is undoubtedly the Calatrava in a rose-gold 5516 with a 215 calibre, which, in my opinion, is a classic and the most collectible watch in the world. Please correct me if I'm wrong -- although I'm not sure I'm ready for it. I'm open to all your recommendations, but look forward to hearing specific thoughts on these three particular watches, and when I should wear what. I appreciate your time.
When I left Le Rosey, I received a slim Patek Calatrava from my parents. I probably didn’t fully appreciate it at the time, but it set me on a path of horological enlightenment that has ultimately led to this rather dubious position answering reader questions every week. Thanks, Mother and Father.
While some readers may dismiss your question as an elitist one from a fortunate son of the one percent, I would counter that the timepiece as a graduation gift is a fitting tradition that has been largely lost in the fast-food nation. In Europe, almost every lad, regardless of his parents' income, receives a watch when he graduates. It is a fitting symbol of the move into adulthood, something that encourages responsibility and punctuality and a respect for well-made things. So I congratulate you not only for graduating but also for having such sensible parents.
As for your options, the Rolex might be fitting for a 20-year-old but will be tiresome and forgettable when you’re 40. The Royal Oak is a nice choice, and a sports watch will suit your young lifestyle well and have lasting appeal. But the Patek is the one to get if it is on offer. More than any other watch, a Patek Philippe is perhaps the best choice for a commemorative gift and even though you think you might not be ready for it, you’ll thank me for recommending it when you’re writing this column in twenty years.
Question from a Watch Knob
You rarely mention Seiko, yet it makes its own movements, and the Grand Seiko line is right up there with the top Swiss watches and it has pioneered many innovations. Why doesn't it get love from the Snob?
Because it popularised not only the quartz watch but also the concept of the disposable cheap watch. No Grand Seiko, no matter how well made it is, can erase those sins.
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