A Sportscar for your wrist – Richard Mille RM 11-03 Automatic Winding Flyback Chronograph McLaren
If there is one certain field that always strives for new material to make their products lighter (and hence more performing) then it is that of racing cars. And if there is a watch brand that strives for these same goals then it must be Richard Mille. So it is quite obvious that both fields meet to join their individual expertise – extremely tough but light materials from the racing car industry and reliable and precise timekeeping pieces.
The 916 horse power strong McLaren P1 has elements made from carbon-ceramic which so far have only been used for Ariane rockets
A few months back Richard Mille has introduced their first timepiece in cooperation with McLaren Automotive (don’t get it mixed up with McLaren Formula 1). The McLaren Automotive are made for the public street – just like Richard Mille wants to make performing watches for everyday live. For us there was no better place to get to know the RM 11-03 Flyback Chronograph McLaren then at the ‘Nürburgring Classics Richard Mille’ race, which took place end of June.
The Richard Mille RM 11-03 Flyback Chronograph McLaren is inspired by the McLaren 720S sportscar
The ‘Nürburgring Classics’ first started in 2017 with Richard Mille as main partner and the aim to become a continues venue taking place once a year. Over 3 days, more then 700 vintage car enthusiasts took part in 18 races. Guests had the chance to co-drive the McLaren 720S and 570S. We had the privilege to take them out a few laps ourselves on the ‘Nürburgring Grand Prix’ track. However, focus of this venue is clearly on vintage cars. So we spotted a Marcos 1800 GT, a Lotus Elan R26, a Ford GT40, a Porsche 356 A Coupe from 1959, a Shelby Cobra 427 from 1975 amongst many other beautiful and well preserved cars.
Impressions from the Richard Mille Nürburgring Classic – Photo by Clement Luck
Great products need great designers. So McLaren chief designer Rob Melville and Richard Mille engineer Fabrice Namura have stuck their heads together and some time later the RM 11-03 Flyback Chronograph McLaren was born. The inspiration of course very much derives from the McClaren 720S sportscar. But also mixed with some Richard Mille signatures. For example, the carbon TPT fibre case is mixed with quartz TPT, which is an extremely resistant and light material due to its multiple layers of parallel filaments (fibre). Carbon is being used in the sports cars too, and the orange (papaya orange as Bruce McClaren used to call it) colouring expresses the McLaren traditional colour code.
The colouring in papaya orange expresses the distinctive McLaren colour code
The chronograph pushers are made from titanium and designed in the shape of the headlights of the McLaren 720S. Not less impressive is the crown, which is a mini replica of a McLaren lightweight wheel. The large hands on the skeletonized dial with luminous paint improve the readability. It gets quite busy on this bright colourful dial. 60-minutes countdown timer at 9 o’clock, 12-hour totalizer at 6 o’clock, seconds countdown timer at 3 o’clock, a tachymeter scale in green and an annual calendar with oversize date indication.
The McLaren 720S from 2017 with a modified carbon-chassis at a mere weight of only 1283 kg
The RM 11-03 houses the RMAC3 calibre with a flyback chronograph and a 55-hour power reserve. To reach the desired lightweight construction most of the movement parts are also made from ceramic or grade 5 titanium and then covered with PVD to improve its stiffness. Some parts are even made in white gold (ribs and weight segment). This is a challenge as the plates and bridges have to withstand quite some pressure. But it reflects the ambitious work from sportscar manufacturing.
Richard Mille RM 11-03 Flyback Chronograph McLaren – a sportscar for your wrist
The movement has a memory system that adapts to the owner’s lifestyle. You can simply move some screws on the rotor (visible on the caseback), which will change the way the rotor will load. This way the rotor’s inertia is modified to either speed up the winding process in the case of leisurely arm movements, or slow it down during sporting activities.
The 'Luminor Due' Collection is enhanced by new models in which simplicity and sportiness are combined with the technical solutions of the P.4001 and P.4002 automatic calibers, which offer a date display, a second time zone and a power reserve indicator. Panerai Luminor Due 3 Days Automatic Acciaio 45 mm Ref. PAM00943 With their modern technology and…
TUDOR is introducing an array of novelties at this year's Watches & Wonders. One very important piece is an outgoing watch christened the Black Bay Pro. Other new models come in the form of a bicolour Black Bay GMT and Black Bay Chrono with new colour schemes, as well as Black Bay S&G watches with…
Everyone forges their own unique professional path – and Pascal Narbeburu, current Timepieces Director at Van Cleef & Arpels, is no exception. His journey to the position is particularly interesting for two reasons. Firstly, he has worked exclusively for Richemont-led maisons that combine high jewellery and watchmaking: Piaget, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. Secondly,…
It’s been another extraordinary year for us all, and the watch world is no exception. That is why the Swisswatches team sat down once more to comprise a list of our top watches of 2023. From anniversary models to world firsts, we are presenting you 24 special highlights to emerge from the ever-surprising Swiss watch…
It looks almost that the greatest density of magnum wine bottles is based in the southern part of Styria. They like to think big. An area, near the Slovenian border, where viniculture forms the landscape and which is famous for one of the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world. At Porsche they have always, and…
It is a touching tribute to his father: as Philippe Stern turns 85 on 10 November, his son, Thierry Stern, will introduce the world to the Reference 1938P-001, limited to a mere 30 pieces. Thus, the current President will pay homage to the Honorary President of the manufacture, while its employees likewise honour the man who…
One of the true deities of French Haute Joaillerie, luxury goods house Cartier has been revered for its tradition, elegance, and class since its founding in 1847. It is also known for its watches, from the dainty Tank to the statement Santos-Dumont. What it is less celebrated by wider audiences beyond the niche realms of…
When Omega was first appointed as the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games by the International Olympic Committee in 1932, a lone watchmaker travelled from Biel to Los Angeles with 30 split-second chronographs to measure the times of the 1,334 participating athletes. Over 90 years and 30 Olympic Games later, Omega is heading to Paris…
To name a brand after a ‘long meadow’ sounds just as fairytale-like as the history of the watch brand Longines. The brand from the idyllic village ‘Les Longines’ in Saint-Imier literally means ‘long meadow’. Established in 1832 by Auguste Agassiz, the brand has headed skywards just as consistently as the long meadow-grass of the lush…
At first sight, this new timepiece from Swiss watchmaker Carl F. Bucherer seems so simple and elegant, nearly inconspicuous. Sure, it is equipped with a tourbillon complication which still today remains one of the most complex technologies in watchmaking, but to be honest there are hardly any renowned watchmakers without offering tourbillon complications today. However,…
It's fair to say that across the Swiss watch industry, it is men's and unisex watches that tend to be the most technically interesting. A timepiece that breaks this trend, however, is Van Cleef's Lady Arpels Heures Florales. Charmingly beautiful on the surface, this watch is in fact a horological masterpiece. Van Cleef & Arpels’…
Did you know that in regards to the world time-zones, the Russian capital Moscow recently has shifted one hour closer to Western Europe, being relocated to UTC+3 instead of UTC+4 as it has been for decades? And did you hear that Dubai now represents the time-zone instead of Riyadh, or Brisbane instead of Noumea? Some…
The history of Cartier's world-renowned horological creations spans well over a century. However, the Cartier Ballon Bleu de Cartier is still a relatively new addition. Since its release in the 2000s, it's become one of the most-loved unisex watches out there – particularly for women looking to break away from stagnant, over-marketed watch designs. As…