Richard Mille: A collaboration with McLaren to bring 'Racing Machines on the Wrist'

Richard Mille and McLaren reinforce their longstanding partnership with the limited- edition RM 65-01 McLaren W1, among the most technically complex of the watchmaking brand’s ‘Racing Machines on the Wrist’ 

In the rarefied world of haute horology and automotive excellence, few partnerships have pushed the boundaries of innovation quite like Richard Mille and McLaren. Their latest collaboration, the RM 65-01 McLaren W1 Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph, is a testament to their shared values of modern technology, cutting-edge design and precision engineering. 

Richard Mille’s partnership with McLaren was officially forged in February 2016, but the watchmaking brand’s founder was already bewitched by Bruce McLaren as far back as 1966 after seeing the New Zealand-born driver competing at the Monaco Grand Prix in the original McLaren Formula One car, the M2B. 

The RM 65-01 McLaren W1, which follows three previous watches in the series, draws its inspiration from McLaren’s latest supercar, the W1 – the groundbreaking successor to the legendary F1 (1992) and P1 (2013) models. With 1275PS available from its high-performance hybrid powertrain, the W1 is officially the fastest road car ever produced by McLaren Automotive. It also features the most advanced aero package ever used by the marque, introducing the astounding, theatrical McLaren Active Long Tail that enables the car to stick to the road or track. 

Just as the W1 represents the pinnacle of McLaren’s engineering prowess, the RM 65-01 McLaren W1 embodies Richard Mille’s relentless pursuit of horological perfection. It more than fulfils its brief to reflect the cutting-edge, high-performance features of the car in terms of its shape, materials and functionality as well as the “engine” that powers it. 

At the heart of the mechanical marvel beats the RMAC4 automatic chronograph movement. This powerhouse calibre, with its split- seconds complication, is capable of measuring elapsed times down to one-tenth of a second while the movement’s vertical clutch and the two six-column wheels ensure precise and ultra-smooth activation of the chronograph. 

In true automotive style, the RM 65-01 McLaren W1’s movement sits on chassis mounting rubbers secured by grade 5 titanium spline screws (instead of being held in place by a conventional casing ring) and features a “rapid winding” function which enables the 60-hour power reserve to be fully recharged by multiple pressures on a special Orange Quartz TPT pusher. 

The RM 65-01 McLaren W1’s Carbon TPT case was also inspired by the W1’s cocoon-like bodywork, with the Richard Mille design team basing its shape on the view of the car from above. Perhaps the most striking – and certainly most technically challenging – feature is the indented “double” bezel. Drawing from the W1’s compact and muscular shape, high waist line and anhedral door, a Carbon TPT bezel sits on a satin-finished and polished grade 5 titanium second bezel. This innovative design element, which took nine months and eight prototypes to perfect, echoes the aerodynamic precision of the W1 supercar with an upper bezel that measures a mere five-tenths of a millimetre at its thinnest point. 

In yet another nod to automotive engineering, the RM 65-01 McLaren W1 incorporates a “function selector” crown that operates along the lines of a manual gear shift to allow the wearer to switch between W for winding, D for date and H for hand-setting. This crown, based on the splines seen on the W1’s drive shafts, is made from grade 5 titanium with a partial, easy-to-grip rubber coating in McLaren papaya orange and a tip adorned with the McLaren “Speedmark”. 

Richard Mille also developed a new skeletonised titanium dial design based on the W1’s wheel rim patterns. It features elements in colours synonymous with McLaren that enhance readability while evoking the aesthetic of a supercar dashboard, as well as exquisitely crafted frames based on the cut-outs seen in the lightweight seats typically used in McLaren supercars. The patterns seen on the RM 65-01 McLaren W1’s papaya orange rubber strap, meanwhile, echo the aerodynamic angles of the foils and ducts found on the W1’s engine cover and ground-effect spoilers. 

The partnership between Richard Mille and McLaren, now in its ninth year, continues to yield groundbreaking products that push the boundaries of engineering excellence, innovation and the use of high- tech materials. Limited to just 500 pieces, the RM 65-01 McLaren W1 combines the expertise to conceive products that not only capture the imagination but also set new benchmarks in both horology and automotive performance. 

“At McLaren we say that not any car can have the ‘1’ title but that ‘the name is earned’ – so only a truly special watch could complement the W1,” says Andrea Bermudez, Global Marketing Director at McLaren Automotive. “The RM 65-01 McLaren W1 is it.” 

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