Lewis Hamilton’s $600,000 Richard Mille timepiece: Ferrari’s driver gets a luxury upgrade

Formula 1 is synonymous with exclusivity, opulence, and luxury, three things that Lewis Hamilton knows very well from his 18 years in the sport. Following his move to Ferrari, the seven-time world champion swapped more than just his car and racing suit. The British racer now sports an extraordinary Richard Mille timepiece worth a staggering $600,000. Oh, the perks of the Scuderia.

Hamilton has already worn several models during his short time at Ferrari so far, but the watch that caught the attention of many was the RM 74-02 Automatic Tourbillon. This doesn’t come as such a surprise when it’s over twice the price of the average house in the driver’s home country. Here’s why it costs so much…

The RM 74-02 features a stunning Gold Carbon TPT case, a case that combines 30 microns-thin ply carbon fibre with gold leaf. The sideband is a beautiful red gold. At its heart lies an in-house calibre CRMT5 and a free-sprung balance with variable inertia, meaning this Swiss made specimen is far more reliable than your standard watch. With a rapid winding barrel, it can adjust the winding mechanism based on how much the wearer is moving – perfect for an F1 driver constantly on the go.

Leaving Mercedes, Hamilton also left behind sponsor IWC, picking up Richard Mille in its place which has been a sponsor of the Scuderia since 2021. During his 12 years with Mercedes, the driver was frequently seen sporting IWC watches, including the sophisticated IWC150 Years Constant Forcebillon which he wore on his final race with the team. Following the race, IWC CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr gifted the driver with a Top Gun Perpetual Calendar Boutique Edition.

Hamilton’s first watch with Ferrari was the RM 67-02 ‘Italy’, a version of the watch that sits flatter to the wrist than the standard version. Fittingly, he wore this during his first trip to Fiorano. It’s also incredibly lightweight. Weighing just 33 grams, it’s the lightest in the brand’s portfolio while also coming in a tad cheaper at £300,000 (approximately $380,000).

The partnership between Ferrari and Richard Mille has yielded incredible models such as the UP-01 Ferrari, just 1.175mm thick and costing a mind-blowing £1.5 million.

While the Ferrari drivers wear these watches to fulfil sponsorship obligations, they have posed a safety risk with them being so expensive. In 2022, Charles Leclerc reportedly had a Richard Mille watch, valued at $320,000, stolen in Italy. Lando Norris, who also wears Richard Mille, had one stolen at Wembley Stadium in London. 

Watches in Formula 1

Timepieces are an integral part of F1 culture. There are numerous watch brands involved with the sport, but Tag Heuer is likely the most well known as of this year after they replaced Rolex at the end of 2024. Tag Heuer has now returned as the world championship’s official timekeeper thanks to a deal with LVMH worth $1 billion, on top of their existing sponsorship deal with Red Bull.

Only three teams currently lack a watch sponsor: Williams, which partnered with Bremont until 2023; Haas, without a sponsor of this type since 2020; and Sauber, which lost Rebellion Timepieces in 2023.

With high value sponsorships mostly emanating from gambling and AI businesses, it will be interesting to see if these teams do eventually take on a timepiece partner.