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How Fernando Alonso Inspired a $1 Million Timepiece By Richard Mille

Tejas Venkatesh
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How Fernando Alonso Inspired a $1 Million Timepiece By Richard Mille

Fernando Alonso is nothing less than an artist on the track. After becoming a World Champion in 2005, the Spaniard became the youngest driver to win the title. His driving, raw pace and agility to perform even at the age of 41 are inspiring.

While Alonso will be starting a fresh new chapter with the Aston Martin F1 team, he seems to have already made an impact on another industry. That industry is the high-end luxury Swiss watches.

Alonso played a crucial role in developing the RM 47 Tourbillion with Swiss watchmaker Richard Mille. And the price of this work of art and craftsmanship is $1.09 Million.

 

Only 75 watches will be produced by Richard Mille. And if you are planning on acquiring a timepiece, you must be both, extremely wealthy and incredibly lucky!

Also Read: “Is it April 1 yet?”: Fernando Alonso Mocked by Schumacher for Bold Claims

Know more about Fernando Alonso-inspired RM 47 Tourbillion

The RM 47 Tourbillion was created after a discussion between Richard Mille and Fernando Alonso. Alonso has a deep appreciation for Japanese traditional arts and the Samurai principles.

The racer suggested the Swiss watchmaker create a timepiece that is inspired by the Japanese warrior culture. And RM 47 was born after 4 years of designing and understanding the culture of Japan’s fiercest warriors.

The watch reflects the Bushido principles of Samurais, the traditional Japanese warriors. It features the crest of the Asano clan from Hiroshima, Japan.

The Asano clan are infamous for the lore of the “47 Ronin.” This is a historic tale dating back to 18th century Japan when 47 warriors avenged the death of their master, Asano Naganori.

The Samurai led a life of honour, loyalty, sacrifice and perseverance. And the watch is an ode to the virtues of the Samurai and has been crafted along with the principles of Bushido.

Also Read: Fernando Alonso Claims Aston Martin Has More Desire to Win Than Ferrari Ever Had With His Services

Alonso’s conversation with Richard Mille inspired the watch

After a conversation with Fernando Alonso, Richard Mille spent 4 years designing the watch. And just like any other immaculate timepiece by the watchmaker, he tells a story through his craft.

The watch features gold embellishments and a golden crest of the Asano clan. They are hand-carved by the engraver Pierre-Alain Lozeron and painted by his wife Valérie Lozeron.

The watch features a black Ceramic and Yellow Gold casing. The back side of the watch is open, with the intricate clockwork completely visible.

Each watch takes 16 hours of work to engrave and a whole day to assemble the mechanics of the watch. Only 75 pieces of the limited edition watches have been produced. With each watch selling for $1.09 Million.

Also Read: Fernando Alonso Claims He’ll Be Proud if Aston Martin Wins Title Without Him

About the author

Tejas Venkatesh

Tejas Venkatesh

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Tejas Venkatesh is a Motorsports writer at The SportsRush. He started watching F1 in 2007 and fell in love with the sound of the revving V8s. A technical nerd, tejas loves to nerd over the technical beauty only motorsports can achieve. He calls himself a Vettel fanboy and spent the night crying after Hockenheim 2018. Apart from F1, Tejas is an avid Chelsea Fan and loves football.

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