News: Richard Mille RM 50-03 McLaren F1
Richard Mille is no stranger to breaking records, and the latest watch by the brand to do so is the RM 50-03 McLaren F1; this highly complicated split second tourbillon watch weighs just 38 grams in total, including the strap. To put that in perspective, the entire timepiece weighs less than a golf ball. Considering what’s going on inside the watch, that’s a pretty impressive statistic.
As we’ve come to expect from Richard Mille, the brand has experimented with new and innovative materials to create their new timepiece. As well as using both titanium and carbon TPT in the watch’s construction, Richard Mille has also introduced a material not seen before in watchmaking, Graph TPT. Otherwise known as graphene, this recently developed material has tested 200 times stronger than steel, while being lighter and more flexible. These properties and their implication for Formula 1 racing are why McLaren has invested so much into the research and development of graphene, and as this watch is the result of the partnership between the brands, it’s understandable that Richard Mille has chosen the innovative material for the timepiece as well.
Made of grade 5 titanium and skeletonisation to reduce the weight even further, the movement itself only tallies in at seven grams. Bear in mind, the movement boasts a tourbillon, split-second chronograph, 70-hour power reserve and torque indicator. The transverse cage, which supports the calibre, is also crafted from TPT carbon and is directly inspired by the ‘wishbone’ suspension of a McLaren-Honda F1 car.
As you might have already guessed, taking home one of these watches home is going to cost you a pretty penny, retailing at 980,000 CHF. The Richard Mille RM 50-03 McLaren F1 is the first product between the watchmaker and McLaren, so—on the theory that the only way is up—it will be interesting to see what the collaboration produces next.
