A Show Of Feminine Muscle

Richard Mille's first women's sports collection blends feminine aesthetics with uncompromising performance.

- CHARMIAN LEONG

Watchmakers face a number of challenges when it comes to designing sports watches for women. They have to be tough but feminine, durable but not too chunky, chic but not too glamorous. And all of these considerations have to fit inside a case that is often half the size of their masculine counterparts. But Richard Mille has always navigated these demands with ease since its over-engineered, everything-resistant timepieces have made even its most gem-encrusted ladies’ watches hardy enough to handle most activities.

So when the brand decided to work on its first dedicated ladies’ sports collection, it had to deliver even more style and more technical sophistication. Keeping in mind the many female athletes in their family of brand partners, Richard Mille wanted to offer “an even more technical piece to support them in their sporting activities”, according to brand and partnerships director Amanda Mille. “The idea had been maturing for a while, given that creating a movement with very sporty codes for such a small watch took a great deal of time.”