Richard Mille RM 41-01 Tourbillon Football Watch: A Fully Mechanical Match Tracker
Back in 2013, Richard Mille collaborated with renowned Italian player and coach Roberto Mancini to create its first football-themed watch. This timepiece, named RM 11-01, was Richard Mille’s first football watch, combining a central chronograph function with dial markings designed specifically for match timing. The RM 11-04, launched in 2019, was an upgraded evolution of this core concept. However, for the past five years, Richard Mille has been developing a completely new ultra-complication timepiece dedicated to the world’s most popular sport. Now, the Swiss brand has officially released the Richard Mille RM 41-01 Tourbillon Football Watch as its first major release for 2026 (a World Cup year).
Richard Mille’s previous football-themed watches aimed to record match time, and their latest creation goes a step further. Not only can it track match time, different stages (including extra time), and the scores of both teams, but it also features a tourbillon, striving to perfectly embody the essence of a football-themed watch. To achieve this, the Richard Mille RM 41-01 Tourbillon Soccer watch features two new complications for the first time and uses a new case material incorporating basalt fiber. It is also available in two colorways, each limited to 30 pieces. This watch is quite detailed; let’s take a closer look.
The Richard Mille RM 41-01 Tourbillon Soccer replica luxury watch features a case composed of 105 parts, adopting the brand’s signature tonneau shape, with a diameter of 43.23 mm, a lug spacing of 49.65 mm, and a total thickness of 16.08 mm. While the thickness appears considerable on paper, the case’s curved design allows it to fit naturally on the wrist, and the sapphire crystal glass on both sides perfectly complements the case’s smooth lines. The watch is water-resistant to a standard 50 meters, and four protruding pushers on either side of the case’s center, along with a torque-limiting crown, prevent accidental overwinding of the movement. Like all Richard Mille watches, the RM 41-01 Tourbillon Soccer features a sandwich-style case construction, but one colorway debuts a new case material called “Red Carmine Basalt TPT.”
As mentioned earlier, the Richard Mille RM 41-01 Tourbillon Soccer watch will be available in two colorways. Both watches feature a carbon fiber TPT case center, but the upper and lower sections use slightly different materials. The first model uses quartz TPT, a material first used in the RM 27-02 Tourbillon Raphael Nadal watch in 2015. Since then, it has been spawned in various vibrant colors, with the deep blue quartz TPT being the latest color choice for Richard Mille’s flagship football watch. The second model, the RM 41-01, uses a new material called “Carmine Basalt TPT,” based on similar technology but incorporating fibers derived from volcanic basalt.
Similar to carbon fiber TPT and quartz TPT, Carmine Basalt TPT is a composite material composed of multiple layers of compressed fibers stacked at a 45-degree angle to enhance its strength. Unlike carbon fiber TPT, which uses 30-micron-thick carbon fibers, or quartz TPT, which uses 45-micron-thick silicon fibers, Carmine Basalt TPT uses 40-micron-thick basalt fibers, creating an asymmetrical, wood-grain-like texture that becomes apparent after the material is processed into its final shape. From a performance perspective, Carmine Basalt TPT is very similar to Carbon Fiber TPT and Quartz TPT, but the basalt fibers exhibit a clearer texture and pattern within the material. This allows Richard Mille to render Carmine Basalt TPT in a deep, saturated color, such as the deep “Carmine” hue used in the RM 41-01 Tourbillon Football replica swiss watch.
To subtly pay homage to its inspiration—football—the crown of the Richard Mille RM 41-01 Tourbillon Football watch is made of rubber, its texture echoing the hexagonal pattern of a football. The titanium tip of the crown is also meticulously engraved to reflect this familiar pattern. The four Grade 5 titanium pushers, framed in 5N gold, also showcase exquisite craftsmanship, adorned with polished bevels and inserts made of either Carbon Fiber TPT or Basalt TPT. To ensure consistent tactile feedback from all four pushers, Richard Mille employs a patented double column wheel mechanism, with the second column wheel specifically dedicated to resetting the flyback chronograph function.
The Richard Mille RM 41-01 Tourbillon Football Watch is powered by a magnificent 51-jewel movement. Its manual-winding mechanism comprises 650 individual components suspended within a skeletonized bridge made of grade 5 titanium. The RM 41-01’s movement vibrates at 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz) and has a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. The movement features a central flyback chronograph, a 60-second tourbillon, and a power reserve indicator. It also includes a match phase indicator (for tracking the first and second halves/extra time), two independent goal counters (for recording the score), and a function indicator showing the crown’s current mode. The match phase indicator and goal counters are new complications introduced by Richard Mille, enabling the RM 41-01 to track all the key elements of a football match, not just timing data.
Unlike some Richard Mille watches (such as the RM 21-02 Tourbillon Aerodyne and the RM 07-04 Automatic Sport Watch), which feature dedicated buttons to switch between different crown functions, the RM 41-01 Tourbillon Football Watch employs a more traditional design, switching between different operating modes (neutral, winding, and adjusting hands) by pulling the crown outwards. Unlike most watches, the RM 41-01’s crown is in the neutral position (not the winding position) when fully pushed into the case, which helps prevent accidental overwinding. Pulling the crown out one position winds the movement, and pulling it out a second position adjusts the hands. The current function is indicated by a marker at 4 o’clock, which uses three titanium plates moving against a lacquered background to indicate the mode (neutral, operating, or adjusting). https://www.grand-watch.co
Despite its complex functions, using the Richard Mille RM 41-01 Tourbillon Football Watch is quite simple. Just press the two buttons on the right side of the case to advance the two goal counters. The button at 2 o’clock is dedicated to the “home team,” with its corresponding counter located in the upper left corner of the dial. The button at 4 o’clock advances the “away team’s” goal counter, located in the lower right corner of the dial, adjacent to the button at 2 o’clock. The other two corners of the dial display the power reserve indicator and the tourbillon (which also functions as the seconds hand). The bar indicator at 9 o’clock tracks different phases of a football match, including the standard first and second halves and the two extra-time periods, sometimes used as a deciding set.
A standard football match consists of two 45-minute halves; however, unlike most sports, the football match timer does not stop when play is paused. When the ball goes out of bounds or a player is substituted/injured, the timer continues running, and the time lost in the first half is added to the end of that period (often called “extra-time” or “injury time”). If the match cannot be tied, two 15-minute extra-time periods are played after the two 45-minute halves. If the match is still tied after extra time, a thrilling penalty shootout will determine the winner, with players from both sides taking one-on-one penalties, the opposing goalkeeper saving the shot.
Because the timer is constantly running, timing in football is more complex than in other sports, and the actual length of the match depends on the added time. Therefore, you will often see football referees wearing two different watches, as they need to record not only the official match time but also the added time at the end of the match. To address these unique timing needs, the Richard Mille RM 41-01 watch features markings on the outer edge of the dial corresponding to 45-minute and 15-minute intervals, with a dedicated area at the end of these markings for recording added time. Furthermore, the match time indicator is linked to a flyback chronograph mechanism, automatically cycling through the next time period (first half, second half, extra time 1, and extra time 2) each time the chronograph is reset.
By default, the Richard Mille RM 41-01 Tourbillon Football watch comes with a white rubber strap in its deep blue quartz TPT version, while the red carmine basalt TPT version comes with a grey strap. However, I suspect buyers of this ultra-limited edition watch will also be able to order other compatible straps through their local boutiques. Personally, I think Richard Mille made a wise choice by using these deeper, more natural blues and reds on the RM 41-01, rather than opting for overly vibrant hues like some of the brand’s other models. Many football clubs (and nations) use red or blue as one of their team colors, but these softer shades allow these watches to blend better into various teams and also give them greater aesthetic versatility. https://www.chronowrist.ru
The complex mechanical movement inside the Richard Mille RM 41-01 Tourbillon Football watch is fully capable of tracking all the key data of a formal football match, but it’s important to note that this watch is not a professional match watch designed specifically for FIFA referees, like the Hublot World Cup smartwatch. Even the world’s most financially powerful leagues don’t equip referees with Richard Mille flyback chronographs featuring tourbillons. The RM 41-01 isn’t geared towards professional referees, but rather a perfect timepiece crafted for wealthy football fans and World Cup stars. It not only showcases their love for football but also boasts high-end watchmaking functions, accurately tracking match data.
The Richard Mille RM 41-01 Tourbillon Football Watch is one of the brand’s most technically complex timepieces to date. I greatly admire the dedication this top Swiss brand has poured into creating a watch dedicated to the world’s most inclusive sport. While football is a sport accessible to almost everyone, with virtually no economic barriers, the fake Richard Mille RM 41-01 Tourbillon Football Watch transcends that.