This was the 11th edition of the Le Mans Classic, which takes place on the same legendary Circuit de la Sarthe as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but features a range of vintage vehicles. Some 800 racing cars took part this year, divided into six classes covering eras from 1923 to 1981.

Beyond the racetrack, there were also a further 8,500 classic cars on display in the general enclosure as well as a special exhibition that brought together 90 historically significant cars that were sourced from museums and private collections around the world. They had either won the race or played a role in the history of Le Mans Classic, including 24 that competed in the very first edition.

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With 150 exhibitors and 1,000 drivers from 30 countries, the event drew an astonishing 235,000 visitors across its four days.

Richard Mille has partnered with this prestigious gathering since the start, as part of the company’s passionate commitment to the world of motorsport, which perfectly mirrors its own pursuit of technical excellence and perpetual innovation, leading to initiatives like partnering with the Ferrari racing team and running its own Richard Mille team in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Since 2008, the watchmaker has produced a special edition to mark each edition of the Le Mans Classic. This year’s event is celebrated with a particularly special timepiece, one that honours the Le Mans Classic with the ultimate racing accessory in the form of the brand’s first-ever flyback chronograph.

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The RM 72-01 Le Mans Classic is powered by the skeletonised CRMC1 movement, which comes with hours, minutes, small seconds, date and a function indicator. There’s a chequered flag on the titanium dial, while the 16 on the hour counter is underlined in red, referring to the endurance race’s start time.

Limited to 150 pieces, it comes with a green and white case made from Richard Mille’s patented material Quartz TPT, which involves layering numerous ultra-thin quartz filaments over each other to create a stunning grain effect.