The 24 Hours of Le Mans has turned 100 but it isn’t the only race to be held on the Circuit de la Sarthe. The biennial Le Mans Classic is a vintage racing event that runs from June 29th to July 2nd in which over 800 vintage cars take to the track. To honour and celebrate both events, Richard Mille is releasing a limited edition iteration of the RM 72-01 Flyback Chronograph, dubbed the Le Mans Classic.
Since 2002, Richard Mille has partnered with the Le Mans Classic event and they’ve created a commemorative watch since 2008.
This specific reference is limited to 150 units and features a white and green Quartz TPT case with a matching dial and rubber strap. The tonneau case measures in at 38.4mm in diameter, 11.68mm in height, and 47.34mm lug-to-lug.
Mechanically, this is identical to contemporary iterations of the 72-01. That means it features the in-house CRMC-1. This movement runs at 4Hz and features a 24-hour chronograph, date display, and a function indicator that monitors when the chronograph is operating. With a power reserve of 50 hours, the movement features traditional aspects like hand-polished flanks, bevels, and countersinks, though less traditional is the grade 5 titanium used on the plates and bridges.
Chronograph switching is done via the column-wheel mechanism and is reset by pressing the lower pusher, but this won’t stop it, but will allow the chronograph to continue running instantly when the pusher is released. You can stop the chronograph with the upper pusher and then pressing the lower one to reset it to zero.
The dial is made from titanium and features plenty of nods to the Le Mans Classic including the nameplate, a “16” in red as a reference to the 4pm start of the race.
While $335,000 USD isn’t the highest price for a Richard Mille, it certainly isn’t something to sneeze at. Then again, if this is aimed at those who can afford to acquire and in some cases restore vintage cars, it might be within their price range.
