Three build classes, one reference number
The differences you can see, in the order they appear when you turn the watch over.
What are the three build classes?
The reference number on the dial tells you almost nothing about what is inside. Three tiers of Richard Mille builds circulate under the same reference, and the price gap between the cheapest and the most expensive is roughly threefold. Here is what actually changes.
| What you look at | Shenzhen Vaucher class | Shanghai Vaucher class | Parmi class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rib effect on the dial side | Present but weaker | Clearly stronger | Strongest of the three |
| Finishing between 1 and 2 o'clock | Simpler plate work | Cleaner, correct plate | Finished to order |
| Balance area | Free-sprung, shock level with the balance | Free-sprung, closer proportions | Shock sits below the balance, as it should |
| Caseback spring ring | Thicker, single layer | Thinner, partly layered | Layered and thin |
| Screws | Flat pentagonal heads | Better defined heads | Correct hole sizing |
| Realistic price band | Lowest | Middle | Highest, quoted per build |
How do we check before you are asked to pay?
- A caliper reading on the case profile, because thickness is what gives a thin reference away.
- Two short videos: the dial tilted against a light source so the rib effect can be seen moving, and the balance area through the caseback.
- A photograph of the caseback spring ring and the screw heads, which is where the lower classes show themselves.
- The maker name and the build class written on your order confirmation, in the same words used here.
What will we not do?
We will not call a watch something it is not. If a source offers us a Shenzhen Vaucher build and describes it as Shanghai, we drop that source rather than pass the description on. We do not quote free-sprung regulation as a warranty, and we do not claim any watch is indistinguishable from a genuine Richard Mille, because under a loupe it is not.
Checked on 15 October 2026 against the records behind Three build classes, one reference number.
What do buyers ask before ordering?
Can I pay for the top class and get the middle one?
That is what the checks exist to prevent. The class is named on the order confirmation, and the pre-dispatch photographs are what you compare it against. If they do not match the promised class, the order stops there.
Does the higher class keep time better?
No. All three run the same family of movement and the cheapest of the three is usually the best regulated out of the box. The extra money buys finishing and parts provenance, not accuracy.