Richard Mille on watches, cars and the rallye

This month, he will sponsor for the fourth time the annual Rallye des Princesses Richard Mille, a women-only classic-car rally that brings together some 90 international participants for a six-day race that rewards average travel times rather than sheer speed.

Starting Saturday in Paris, the participants will cover about 1,000 miles of meandering country roads in France and northern Spain, before crossing the finish line in Biarritz on the Atlantic coast of France.

Ahead of the race, Mille discussed his passion for mechanical marvels that tick and roar. The following interview has been edited and condensed.

Q. What led you to sponsor the Rallye des Princesses Richard Mille?

A. I am a fan of classic cars, and I immediately liked the idea of a rally for women. I met the Rallye’s founder, Viviane Zaniroli, at Rétromobile in Paris in 2015. Three months later, the event was renamed the “Rallye des Princesses Richard Mille.”

Q. Is it unusual for a high-testosterone brand like Richard Mille to be associated with an all-female rally?

A. Not at all. Women have been important to our business for a long time. Today, women’s watches constitute 25 percent of our sales and one-third of our production. Our aim is to increase sales to 35 or 40 percent by next year.

Q. What other motoring events do you sponsor?

A. We have been associated with the Le Mans Classic since 2002. In 2014, we co-founded the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille. This year, we will be the title partner of Le Rallye des Légendes. We are associated with the Nürburgring Classic and the Suzuka Sound of Engine. They all are fantastic classic-car events that fit within our core values and are connected to my personal fascination with the golden age” [1965-70] of auto racing.

Q. What does your association with the Rallye des Princesses bring to your watch brand?

A. The Rallye underlines our diversity in watchmaking. My goal is to make a product that responds to a woman’s wishes and is suitable to wear every day, to the opera, on the golf course, on a sailboat, on a ski slope or in a car rally.

Q. What ignited your passion for automobiles?

A. My passion for cars dates back to 1966, when I attended the Monaco Grand Prix with my father for the first time. Everything about that race fascinated me. It is one of my greatest memories and a life-changing experience.

Q. Tell us about your classic-car collection.

A. I bought my first Renault Alpine days before my first paycheck arrived. That’s how eager I was. After that, the collection just grew. I research each car thoroughly before I buy — its design history, its development and its mechanical features. I always do my homework.

Q. What is your favorite car to drive?

A. I don’t have a favorite car. They are all my babies. I have never sold or traded a car from my collection. Depending on the weather, the distance and the destination, I drive the car that suits my mood. I do not race regularly, but I do enjoy making occasional rounds on a racetrack to get my adrenaline going and to connect with my car.

Q. Have you applied any lessons from motorsports to your watch design and production?

A. From F1 car developers, I learned the importance of a solid technical base and an intuitive approach to finding solutions. That is how Bruce McLaren approached racing and car design, and it is an essential part of my watchmaking philosophy. We use materials like titanium, or Carbon TPT that come from the automotive world. In race cars, the combination of stress resistance, flexibility and reducing weight is a central concern. To build a great watch movement, some parts are resilient, while others must be flexible to absorb shock.

Q. Tell us about your collaboration with the sports-car maker McLaren Automotive, announced in March?

A. Together, we have much to gain by pooling our knowledge and inspiring one another. McLaren Automotive has an encyclopedic knowledge of racing and is a treasure trove of anecdotes. Its eye for detail inspires me.