Bernard Richards and his highly skilled team working at an atelier near Paris have a clear philosophy when it comes to luxury watchmaking: “it is from the excellence of the details that performance is born".
The idea of creating B.R.M. Chronographes, one of the world’s most prestigious brands of high-end watches, originated with Richards, who learnt the art from secrets handed down through his family. An ingenious creator with an innate talent for the original, he went on to successfully position his brand in the exclusive world of luxury watchmaking.
The descendant of a family of watchmakers, Richards trained at the School of Watchmaking and Micromechanics in Paris. In the early 2000s he created and designed his first watch, the GP-44, a unique model that reflected his passion for motor sports. Encouraged by the success of this creation, in 2003 Richards established “B.R.M”: Bernard Richards Manufacture. The pacesetting horology mechanic stood out in the industry by directly developing prototypes in his workshop. His leitmotiv is to create and assemble mechanical prodigies “with his own hands”.
B.R.M. is highly original and distinctive from other high-end brands. Was that the objective from the beginning, to seek some kind of differentiation?
Yes, to be totally independent, the first and only French watch manufacturer, exclusively producing unique pieces, finished entirely by hand… With a foundation in handmade manufacturing, the mechanisation of B.R.M. pieces will never adapt to the standardised and serial manufacturing that floods the current watch market. Therefore, B.R.M. workshops only produce 200 watches per month (combining all our models), which showcases the uniqueness of our French label, one that clearly stands out from everything that has been done so far. Proof of this is the spectacular increase in demand and the waiting time that is necessary today to obtain a B.R.M. watch.
In collections oriented towards different sports, your first was motorsport. Why was that?
I have been a collector of motorcycles and passionate about the sport from my childhood, and I like to transmit this spirit of competition through my original creations.
B.M.R. Chronographes has several collections and countless models. Which would you highlight?
B.R.M. is renowned for its emblematic models, such as the mythical V12 and its "piston" buttons, the R50 and its motorcycle cylinder-shaped mechanism, and the revolutionary Birotor mounted on four shock absorbers. BRM Chronographes has become an indispensable ally of motorsport, both French and international.
B.M.R. has now also decided to create a collection dedicated to golf. What are the main features? In 2017, B.R.M caused a sensation when launching a new range of automatic watches specially designed for playing golf. Thanks to the French technology of these unique timepieces, golfers can practise their sport with total freedom of movement. Its floating system completely cushions impacts. All B.M.R. Chronographes models can be customised. What does this customisation entail? Is each watch unique? Because each client is unique, B.R.M Chronographes allows you to customise your model as you like with the help of the configurator. This innovative tool offers more than 12,000 options to choose from, to compose and to assemble the watch of your dreams – an unparalleled luxury in high-end watchmaking. You can choose the colours of the stitching, the needles, the bracelet, the springs and, in particular, stamp your logo on the glass of the dial. We invite you to unleash your imagination and create a unique model.