Richard Mille advises a service every three years, with the water resistance checked every year if the watch is regularly immersed, and it is one of the few brands that publishes its service prices: the servicing page on richardmille.com lists the cost of a complete service for each reference in Swiss francs, excluding tax, with a separate process for automatic and tourbillon movements. The prices are high by any standard, because every Richard Mille is stripped, cleaned and rebuilt by RM-trained watchmakers, the case is returned to the case factory in Les Breuleux for inspection and polishing, and the service record is written into the watch's file. This guide sets out the intervals, what an RM service includes, how the cost bands sit against each other, how the warranty card and the new digital warranty work, why work outside the RM network voids the warranty, and what to check before buying a pre-owned Richard Mille. Bizak & Co. sources Richard Mille to order and discloses service history on every watch; the Richard Mille collection lists the references we can seek.
Last reviewed on September 21, 2026 by Filip Biczak. Prices are dated observations, not quotes.
How often should a Richard Mille be serviced?
Richard Mille's own guidance, published on its servicing page, is a service every three years and a yearly water-resistance check for a watch that is regularly immersed. Three years is shorter than the five to ten years that Rolex, Audemars Piguet or Patek Philippe owners are used to, and RM explains why in terms of lubricants: oil in a movement has a working life measured in years and absorbs metallic particles as it ages, as in an engine, and a movement built to be worn on a tennis court or a race track runs closer to its limits than a dress watch. RM describes a maintenance programme with phases that must be completed at the stated intervals to keep the watch performing as designed. Skipping a service is not a saving; it is a larger bill later, and on a tourbillon it can mean replacing a cage.
What does a Richard Mille service include?
| Level | What is done | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Water-resistance check | Pressure test, gasket inspection and replacement, crown and pusher check | Yearly if the watch is regularly immersed; after any knock |
| Case intervention | Case and bezel removed, inspected and polished at the RM case factory in Les Breuleux; crystal and gaskets checked; strap replaced if requested | When the case is marked or the crystal damaged |
| Complete service, automatic | Movement fully disassembled, cleaned, worn parts replaced, oiled, reassembled, regulated and tested; case intervention included; service record updated; service warranty issued | Every three years |
| Complete service, tourbillon | As above with the tourbillon cage dismantled and rebuilt, additional testing, and work by RM's tourbillon specialists | Every three years; longer turnaround and higher cost |
RM's page describes the steps of a complete service in a drop-down list and draws a distinction between automatic and tourbillon processes. It also states that the amount of work varies with the conditions the watch has been used in, and that an intervention may involve only the case or the case and the movement together. Ask for the estimate to say which.
How much does a Richard Mille service cost?
Richard Mille publishes a per-reference service price on its servicing page, selected from a model drop-down and stated as a global retail price in Swiss francs excluding tax; it is the only one of the four big names to do so. The list is the authority, and it changes, so read it for your reference rather than relying on a figure from a forum. The bands below describe how the costs sit relative to one another.
| Watch | Examples | Relative cost of a complete service |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic, time and date | RM 005, RM 010, RM 030, RM 035, RM 67-01 | The base band; still a multiple of a Rolex or AP service |
| Automatic chronograph and flyback | RM 011, RM 65-01, RM 72-01 | Above the base band; more parts and longer testing |
| Manual tourbillon | RM 002, RM 017, RM 27 series, RM 038 | Materially higher; tourbillon process and specialist watchmakers |
| Tourbillon chronograph and grand complication | RM 008, RM 050, RM 056 | The top of the list; quoted per reference, often with a long timeline |
| Sapphire-cased and unique pieces | RM 056, RM 56-02, bespoke cases | RM notes sapphire pieces separately; the case work alone is specialised |
In broad terms the published list runs into the thousands of Swiss francs for the simplest automatics and well beyond that for tourbillons, before any replacement parts such as a crystal, a strap or a damaged case component. Against a watch that trades in six figures the service is a small percentage, but it is a real cost of ownership that a buyer should add to the price of any RM without a recent service.
How does the Richard Mille warranty work?
Every Richard Mille is delivered with a warranty card carrying a holographic security seal, issued by the manufacture in Les Breuleux and signed and dated by the boutique at the time of sale, together with an activation card paired with the serial number that carries the watch's history of purchase, servicing and warranty. RM asks that both be presented for any intervention. RM has also introduced a digital warranty platform, built on blockchain technology, that records the watch's authenticity and traceability; the RM 43-01 and RM UP-01 Ferrari were the first references to carry full digital certification, with more to follow, and owners use the platform for watch information, the user manual and service bookings. The warranty period is stated on the card; check it and the service warranty date on any pre-owned watch, because the balance is worth money. The Richard Mille collections page lists the current references.
Why service outside the RM network voids the warranty
Richard Mille is explicit: any intervention or service performed outside its network completely voids the warranty, and disassembling the bezel or dial or replacing the strap outside the network can cause irreversible damage to the movement, its reliability and the water resistance. The brand is equally direct about modifications, such as setting the case or dial with stones or fitting an aftermarket sapphire case: they endanger the watch, will very likely reduce its value, and RM's watchmakers will find the traces of prior disassembly even if the movement is put back in its original case, at which point the warranty is void. For a buyer this cuts two ways. A watch with RM service records is a known quantity; a watch that has been "serviced by a specialist" or "upgraded" is a watch RM may refuse, and its price should reflect that.
How long does a Richard Mille service take?
A water-resistance check can be done in days at a boutique. A complete service on an automatic commonly takes several months from drop-off to return, because the movement work and the case work are done in different places and the case goes back to Les Breuleux; tourbillons and grand complications take longer. RM's digital platform and boutiques handle bookings. If you are buying a watch to wear this season, a recent RM service receipt is worth paying a premium for; if you are selling, do not send it in the month before.
Buying a pre-owned Richard Mille: service and warranty checks
- Warranty card and activation card. Both present, the holographic seal intact, the serial on the card matching the watch, and the boutique signature and date legible.
- Service record. RM keeps a service history for each watch; ask for the receipts and, where applicable, the digital record.
- Three-year clock. Note the date of the last complete service; if it is more than three years ago or unknown, price in a service from RM's published list.
- Case and crystal. Chips at the crystal edge, cracks in carbon or TPT cases and worn screw heads are case-factory work; RM polishes and inspects cases in Les Breuleux.
- Modifications. Any stones, non-original strap hardware or a replacement case are a warranty problem and a value problem.
- Strap. RM straps wear; a fresh RM strap is a routine cost, an aftermarket strap is a question.
- Price against the band. A full-set RM offered well under the market is the single most reliable warning sign.
Our authentication process describes what we inspect before dispatch, and our Richard Mille price guide explains how service status moves a quote.
Budgeting for Richard Mille ownership
On September 21, 2026 Bizak's sourced catalogue listed an RM 011 Felipe Massa in rose gold at US$242,550, an RM 67-01 in platinum at US$232,499 and an RM 65-01 in titanium at US$292,950, all sourced to order. A complete service every three years at RM's published rate is a low single-digit percentage of any of those values per cycle, and a documented RM service adds back part of its cost at resale. Those figures describe what we saw and will move.
Quick answers
How often does a Richard Mille need servicing?
Richard Mille advises a service every three years, with the water resistance checked every year if the watch is regularly immersed.
How much does a Richard Mille service cost?
Richard Mille publishes a per-reference service price on its servicing page, in Swiss francs excluding tax. Automatics sit at the base of the list, chronographs above them, and tourbillons and grand complications at the top; parts such as crystals and straps are extra.
Can an independent watchmaker service a Richard Mille?
Not without consequences. Richard Mille states that any intervention outside its network completely voids the warranty and that opening the bezel or dial or changing the strap outside the network can damage the movement and the water resistance.
What documents come with a Richard Mille?
A warranty card with a holographic security seal, signed and dated by the boutique at sale, and an activation card paired with the serial number that records purchase, servicing and warranty. Newer references add a digital warranty on RM's blockchain platform.
Does a modified Richard Mille lose value?
Yes. Richard Mille says setting the case or dial with stones or fitting an aftermarket sapphire case endangers the watch, voids the warranty and will very likely reduce its value, and its watchmakers will detect prior disassembly.
Request a Richard Mille sourcing quote
Tell us the reference, material, preferred year range, condition and whether RM service history or the balance of the warranty is required, plus your budget and timing, through our sourcing enquiry form. We confirm the specific watch, photographs, cards and final price before you commit. Catalogue entries: RM 011 Felipe Massa rose gold, RM 67-01 platinum, RM 65-01 titanium; browse the Richard Mille collection, the watches over US$50,000 collection, or sell or trade your Richard Mille.
Related reading: Richard Mille price guide · Audemars Piguet price guide · Patek Philippe price guide · How to sell a luxury watch.
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