Collector Watches

October 13, 2026

Richard Mille RM 029 Le Mans Classic: A Race Told in Quartz TPT

Richard Mille has been part of the Le Mans Classic since its first edition in 2002, and every few years the brand marks that bond with a watch. In July 2021, with the race postponed and its return set for 2022, the eighth of these editions arrived: the RM 029 Automatic Le Mans Classic, limited to 150 pieces and dressed in green and white Quartz TPT.

It is a watch that wears its inspiration lightly but precisely. The colours, the stripes across the bezel and even the position of a single blue arrow all refer back to Le Mans, and to the rhythm of a race that traditionally starts at four in the afternoon.

The Story

The Le Mans Classic is a biennial celebration of historic endurance racing, held near Le Mans, offering a retrospective of the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1923 to 1979 and, since 2016, a Group C category covering the 1980s and early 1990s. Richard Mille co-founded the event and has been its partner from the start. The 2018 edition drew a record 135,000 spectators.

The pandemic interrupted that rhythm. The 2020 event was cancelled and the next edition moved to 2022, yet Richard Mille released this watch in 2021 to celebrate the event’s return. It followed seven earlier models created for the race, making it the eighth Le Mans Classic edition in the brand’s history.

On the RM 029 Le Mans Classic, the colours are not painted on. They are built into the case itself.

The Dial

Like most Richard Mille automatics, the RM 029 shows its mechanics through a sapphire dial. Skeletonised hands with green tips sweep over a green chapter ring with fluorescent dot indices and Arabic numerals, keeping the time legible against the open architecture of the titanium movement.

The race is written into the details. An oversize date sits at 4 o’clock. At 2 o’clock, a 24-hour indicator carries a blue arrow at the 4pm position, marking the traditional start. Near 7 o’clock, the Le Mans Classic emblem appears with its chequered flag in green and white.

The case completes the picture. Its caseband is milled from a solid block of white Quartz TPT, while the front and back bezels are green Quartz TPT. Across the top bezel, double Le Mans stripes in white Quartz TPT are inlaid at 12 and 6 o’clock, a two-colour Quartz TPT bezel described at launch as a first for the brand.

In Context

The movement is calibre RMAS7, a skeletonised automatic in grade 5 titanium with two barrels and a variable geometry rotor, which allows the winding rate to be adapted to the wearer’s level of activity. A titanium rotor weighted with an 18k gold segment does the work. It beats at 4 Hz and offers around 55 hours of power reserve, displaying hours, minutes, seconds, oversize date and 24-hour indication.

Quartz TPT, valued by the brand for its lightness and resistance to impact, gives the case its clean, saturated colours. The tonneau case measures 40.10 by 48.15 mm and 13.10 mm thick, is water resistant to 50 metres and is fitted with a white vented rubber strap. A titanium crown with an orange rubber collar adds a single note of contrast.

For collectors, the RM 029 Le Mans Classic sits where two of Richard Mille’s strengths meet: colourful composite cases and a motorsport partnership that has lasted for nearly two decades rather than a few seasons.

The Splendore Perspective

We were drawn to this watch by its colour work. The green and white are built into the case material itself rather than applied to the surface, and the dial echoes the same palette with restraint. It shows how a sapphire dial can still carry a clear and confident identity.

Splendore Pieces offers it exactly as made by its maker; Splendore Unique is independent of Richard Mille. Our team would be pleased to answer questions or to arrange a private viewing in London by appointment.

Specifications

Reference	RM 029 Automatic Le Mans Classic
Year	2021
Case	White Quartz TPT caseband; green Quartz TPT front and back bezels with inlaid white Quartz TPT stripes; titanium crown
Dimensions	40.10 x 48.15 mm
Thickness	13.10 mm
Movement	Calibre RMAS7, skeletonised automatic, variable geometry rotor, twin barrels; hours, minutes, seconds, oversize date, 24-hour indicator
Power reserve	Approximately 55 hours
Water resistance	50 m
Dial	Sapphire, green chapter ring with fluorescent indices, Le Mans Classic emblem near 7 o’clock
Strap	White vented rubber
Limited edition	150 pieces

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