Iceman got a really cool watch: the new Richard Mille RM50-04 Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph

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Ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, Best Richard Mille has teamed up with Alfa Romeo driver Kimi Raikkönen (aka “The Iceman”) to launch a new timepiece.

2007 F1 champion Kimi Raikkönen, known for his signature neat answers, finally has a watch named after him in honor of him and the Alfa Romeo team. The new Richard Mille RM50-04 Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph. Let’s hit the grid!

snowman
Kimi started his Formula 1 career in 2001 with Swiss racing team Sauber (renamed Alfa Romeo in 2019). After a test drive with the team in 2000, Kimi was signed on the spot by Peter Sauber. However, the FIA ​​(International Automobile Federation) initially refused to grant him a “super licence” as he only had 23 races to his name. However, after some persuasion, he got his license and scored his first championship points on his debut at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix.

From 2002 to 2006, Kimi worked for McLaren. Unfortunately, his time with the team was marred by multiple engine failures. Still, Kimi has nine victories with the British racing team. Still, he showed impressive racing skills and even challenged multiple champion Michael Schumacher. He finished second behind Schumacher in 2003 and was quickly seen as a rising star in Formula One.

Leaving McLaren to join Ferrari in 2007 has been a blessing for Kimi as he started the season with a victory at the Australian Grand Prix. The Scuderia has a more reliable car that suits Kimi’s agility talent on the track. He won 15 podiums and six firsts in 2007, becoming an F1 champion ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

In 2010, Kimi took a break from F1 to try out new racing activities such as NASCAR and rallying. But he soon returned to F1 with Lotus in 2012. The year he returned, he finished third in the championship.

Returning to Ferrari in 2014, Kimi didn’t have a great first year, finishing 12th in the championship. However, he returned the following year, finishing fourth and third in the following years. In my final season at Ferrari in 2018, Kimi only managed one win at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, and I had the opportunity to witness it for myself, and I quickly became a Kimi fan.

This year, Kimi decided to return to the Alfa Romeo team, emphasizing that he now races more for leisure than victory: “I don’t feel the same pressure anymore, I can have fun at the wheel. That’s what I like to do, even if I remain focused on doing my best to get the results the car deserves.” best swiss watch

Kimi has also become an internet phenomenon for his legendary reserved personality and the fact that he remains calm in any situation, earning him the nickname “Iceman”. Also, as a bonus point, his in-car radio conversation with the Alfa Romeo team is invaluable.

Alfa Romeo
The former Sauber is the only Swiss team in Formula One. Founded by Peter Sauber in 1970, it is a perfect example of hard work and perseverance. In fact, if Peter had chosen the easy route, he would have run his parents’ traffic light business. He founded Sauber C1 (C for his wife Christian) in his parents’ basement. In 1993 he entered Formula 1 from the World Sports Car Championship. This year Sauber changed its name to Afla Romeo Racing after securing a promising sponsorship and technical deal.

Sauber has attracted some of the best talent in Formula One, with drivers from Kimi to Charles Leclerc who have raced with the Swiss team. Known for their reliability and avant-garde cars with Ferrari engines, Alfa Romeo is a team to be reckoned with.

RM50-04
If you’re a Formula 1 driver, Richard Mille is probably the best sponsor brand. Since all Richard Mille sponsored drivers have watches, if you’re as important as Kimi Raikkönen, you’ll get your own limited edition.

For the RM50-04, Richard Mille went the extra mile to pay homage to the world of F1, where the manufacturer builds the timepiece in the same analytical engineering way that the F1 team builds its cars. Everything in the watch is constructed and assembled in perfect harmony.

In an F1 car, every extra ounce of weight affects performance. Richard Mille took this very seriously, producing a chronograph tourbillon movement with a total weight of 7 grams. To make this feathery weight possible, Richard Mille built the movement and tourbillon from grade 5 titanium and carbon TPT. The case back is engraved with the number 7, which is Kimi’s number.

The weight of this hand-wound tourbillon split-seconds chronograph does not affect its accuracy. If you are in doubt, you can check the torque indicator, which will indicate the tension of the mainspring. The crown pays homage to the car’s gearbox, and when the crown is pulled out, the position of the winding, neutral and hands can be seen.

To make sure the wholesale luxury watch was fit for racing, Richard Mille put the watch to a test comparable to an F1 car. The watch can handle up to 5,000 G’s!

Kimi can’t hide his excitement about this watch made just for him: “We Finns are known for our ‘courage’ and determination. We even have a word to describe it – sisu. However, in my sport , sisu is not enough. I have to rely on high performance technology and teamwork, but above all, pure passion! Richard Mille has powered his engine for all three years: courage, technical prowess And most importantly, fun. That’s why I’m so excited to drive with the groundbreaking RM 50-04 on my wrist.”

The tourbillon escapement works perfectly with the chronograph, and the skeletonized structure of the movement is visible through the sapphire glass, turning this timepiece into the perfect chronograph for the Iceman. RM 50-04 Manual Winding Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph Kimi Räikkönen