Located in the Swiss Jura, the Richard Mille manufacture uses a combination of traditional know-how and futuristic vision to create watches that refuse to compromise on quality or technicality
Looking at the somewhat understated and classic façade of the buildings in Les Breuleux, it’s hard to imagine that this is where some of the industry’s most futuristic watches come to life. The discreet walls of the historic Montres Valgine building house the headquarters of a brand that sets collectors’ pulses racing: Richard Mille. It is at the heart of the Franches-Montagnes in the Swiss Jura that the brand has taken up residence, within the premises of the watchmaking company founded in 1900 by Ali Guenat—whose descendant, Dominique Guenat, joined forces in 1999 with his long-time friend Richard Mille to create the eponymous brand.
While the company may be young, that has not stopped it from acquiring cutting-edge expertise in terms of both mechanics and design. This savoir-faire can be measured by the phenomenal success of the watches it produces and the spectacular figures it has posted: sales of €500 million in 2022 (compared to €450 million in 2021); 210 employees in Les Breuleux; 39 boutiques around the world; an average retail price of CHF 250,000; a total of 5,400 units produced in 2022 and a target of 5,600 this year.
Pushing back the walls
The brand’s exponential growth has led it to progressively expand the Montres Valgine building dedicated to the assembly of movements, the inspection of barrels and the fitting of dials, hands and straps. The first step was taken in 2013 when Pro Art I was built: a 32,000 sq ft contemporary building where watch cases are produced as well as certain components such as plates and bridges, screws and some wheels. This expansion continued in 2018 with the construction of the 27,000 sq ft Pro Art II facility housing the technical offices of the case and movement engineers, R&D teams and Art Direction department.