Even though we all knew it was happening, the sight of Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari red has sparked all manner of meltdowns within the F1 world. When you’re one of the best F1 drivers in the world, it’s a given that you move quickly—on and off the track. Indeed, just like that Hamilton’s Mercedes days are behind him, and with that so too are his IWC wrist checks. Because on his second day at the famous Maranello HQ, he dropped a Richard Mille watch flex before getting on the track in his new car.
Ferrari’s watch sponsor is Richard Mille, and if you’ve paid any attention to Charles Leclerc’s wrists in the last four years, you’ll likely have seen his RM67-02, the lightest watch in the brand’s lineup at 33 grams. It’s only natural that Hamilton gets in on the action, giving his latest watch some air time while wearing a double breasted Ferrari-style suit.
The British F1 driver was spotted with the RM67-02 ‘Italy’ edition on his wrist, a very fitting ticker for his new gig where he’ll whipping around the track in a very sexy Italian car. The watch was released in 2024, and packs in the durable technical features the Swiss brand is known for in an Italian-themed red, white, and green colourway. The case is crafted from Carbon TPT (layered sheets of carbon fibre), which shaves off more than a few grams in weight, and its openworked skeleton design reveals the self-winding CRMA7 movement, which is both ultra-thin and rigid, crafted to withstand shock absorption. Basically it’s a very hi-tech machine, which goes hand in hand with his state-of-the-art F1 vehicle.
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Richard Mille and Ferrari go hand in hand. Both brands are interested in being first—handy if you’re in the racing business. In 2022 they linked up for the UP-01 Ferrari, which set the record at 1.175 mm as the world’s thinnest watch (the record has since been broken by Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC). Coming in at a whopping $1.5 million, it’s also Pharrell Williams’ go-to piece.
Hamilton’s very Italian Richard Mille flex makes sense for his first week in the job, but with the RM67-02’s time-only features, it’s a move away from the complication-heavy IWCs he was wearing last season. Take the IWC “150 Years” Constant Force Tourbillon he rocked during his last outing with Mercedes, a pilot’s watch designed to keep seriously accurate time. But with models like the RM65-01 chronograph in Richard Mille’s locker, it could only be a matter of time before we see some of the brand’s crazier pieces on Hamilton’s wrist
With a move to Ferrari, Hamilton wearing a Richard Mille was always in the cards, but getting an Italian RM flex in on day two is pretty promising for the season ahead. Since touching down in Maranello, he’s upped both his fits and his watches, and we’re sure there’s more to come.
This story originally appeared on British GQ.
