Well, fresh off an exciting Singapore Grand Prix (congrats Lewis Hamilton and Tag Heuer), next stop is Japan, and then to Brazil (October 16-18).  Brazil is the home of F1 Superstar Felipe Massa, who is unfortunately out of racing for the rest of the 2009 season due to a severe accident he suffered on the racetrack this past July at the Hungarian Grand Prix (Massa was struck on the helmet by a suspension spring that had fallen from Rubens Barrichello’s car on a high-speed part of the track).

As you may also know, Felipe Massa has a special relationship with ultra-exclusive watchmaker Richard Mille.  Richard Mille just revealed a special edition watch he has created for Massa, and it is an eye-catcher.  The colors of Massa’s Brazilian homeland with the technical prowess that Richard Mille is known for!

Limited to 10 pieces, one of which is surely Felipe Massa’s.

Richard Mille and Formula 1 Driver Felipe Massa continue their close collaboration

High-end watchmaker and brand Richard Mille brings us two new limited edition models bearing the name of the brand’s Formula 1 “private test driver”.   The Felipe Massa RM 004-V2 in an edition of 40 pieces and the Felipe Massa RM 008-V2 limited to 10 pieces.  Both watches sport the colours of the Brazilian flag on the inner bezel as well as a red collared crown.

In 2004, Felipe Massa took up the challenge of driving in a Grand Prix race with a Richard Mille tourbillon watch on his wrist, the RM 006 Felipe Massa. This watch was a radical innovation, the first to utilize a carbon nanofiber baseplate.  The RM 006 was designed to resist the violent accelerations and vibrations experienced during a Formula 1 Grand Prix race, and its success initiated a series of fine watches dedicated to the Formula 1 high-tech universe. After the RM 006, the RM 009 (29 grams without strap), and the RM 011 LMC editions, the limited runs of the RM 004-V2 and the RM 008-V2 will now take their place manifesting Richard Mille Watches dedication to the world of motor sports.

CALIBER RM 004-V2 FELIPE MASSA

Limited Edition of 40 pieces: 25 in 18ct red gold, 10 in 18ct white gold and 5 in titanium.

Manual winding movement with chronograph, split-seconds, hours, minutes, running seconds, 30-minute totalizer, power reserve, torque indicator, function indicator.

CALIBER RM 008-V2 FELIPE MASSA

Limited Edition of 10 pieces: 5 in 18ct red gold and 5 in 18ct white gold.

Manual winding tourbillon movement with chronograph, split-seconds, hours, minutes, running seconds, 30-minute totalizer, power reserve, torque indicator, function indicator.

Only Watch is a charity auction of unique watches created by many of the most important watch brands in Switzerland. This exceptional event is held every two years in Monaco during the Monaco Yacht Show and is under the patronage of HSH Prince Albert 11. All the proceeds from Only Watch go to support research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The next Only Watch auction is organized in close collaboration with Patrizzi & Co and the Monaco Yacht Show, and will take place on 24 September 2009.

Participating brands include Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, BNB Concept, Bovet Fleurier, Breguet Montres, Cartier, Corum Montres, De Bethune, Delacour, Franck Muller, Frédérique Constant, Glashütte Uhrenbertrieb, Hermès, Hublot, Jaquet Droz, Louis Vuitton, Maximilian Büsser & Friends, Mont Blanc, Omega, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Richard Mille, Swatch, Tag Heuer, Tourneau Timepieces, Ulysse Nardin, Urwerk, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels, Zenith International.

Below is a mosaic of their “pieces uniques”  – you can view larger images and a quote from each respective brand about their 2009 “Only Watch” contribution HERE.