Description

The present reference is the Richard Mille RM 65-01 McLaren W1, an automatic split-seconds chronograph limited to 500 pieces, translating the engineering and sculptural lines of McLaren’s W1 supercar into a technically ambitious wristwatch.

Measuring approximately 44.5 × 50 mm, the tonneau-shaped case is crafted in Carbon TPT®, whose layered construction creates a distinctive striated surface. Its intricate double bezel combines satin-finished and polished grade 5 titanium with an upper Carbon TPT® bezel, echoing the aerodynamic contours of its automotive inspiration. McLaren’s signature papaya orange accents provide a vivid contrast, while the specially designed crown bears the marque’s Speedmark emblem.

The skeletonised display reveals a movement constructed around grade 5 titanium bridges and a matching baseplate. Beyond hours, minutes and a date aperture at 11 o’clock, the watch incorporates running seconds at 6 o’clock, a 30-minute chronograph counter at 3 o’clock and a 12-hour counter at 9 o’clock. Its defining split-seconds mechanism allows intermediate times to be recorded without interrupting the principal chronograph timing.

Powering this arrangement is the self-winding calibre RMAC4, a 51-jewel movement operating at 5 Hz, or 36,000 vibrations per hour, enabling chronograph measurements to one-tenth of a second. It delivers approximately 60 hours of power reserve, depending on chronograph use, and features a variable-geometry rotor that can be adjusted to suit the wearer’s activity level.

A dedicated rapid-winding pusher at 8 o’clock offers an additional means of replenishing the mainspring, while a crown-mounted selector switches between winding, date correction and hand-setting functions, with the selected mode indicated at 4 o’clock.

Combining advanced composite materials, high-frequency chronometry and an elaborate rattrapante mechanism, the RM 65-01 McLaren W1 offers a compelling expression of the shared engineering philosophy behind Richard Mille and McLaren.

Richard Mille – Bio

Richard Mille (born 13 February 1951, in France) started work at Finhor, a local watchmaking company in 1974. The company was bought by Matra in 1981 and Richard Mille rose to manage Matra’s watchmaking business, which then included the brands Yema and Cupillard Rième. Matra’s watchmaking activities were sold to Seiko, who Mille left in 1992 to start a watchmaking business for jewellery firm Mauboussin. In 1999 he founded the company Richard Mille SA in collaboration with Audemars Piguet. Its first product, the RM001 went on sale in 2001