Behold, the Richard Mille RM 11-03 McLaren Automatic Flyback Chronograph marks the debut of yet another over the top watch from the purveyor of over the top watches. I have been covering Richard Mille – and other, similarly unorthodox watches – for so long, that nowadays sometimes my mind’s immediate reaction when looking at them is not awe, but rather a sort of sympathy to my fellow watch lovers who simply can’t enjoy these watches. Still, I can’t help but love these watches and if there was an MRI machine around, I’m sure it could show that the part of my brain that enjoys these, is the same that gets a kick out of colorful G-Shocks.
Since none of my, or Richard Mille’s (though, mind you, basically non-existent) efforts will ever suffice to change the minds of hardcore traditionalist watch lovers, why am I still talking about them? I ended up asking myself this very same question and came up with the answer that perhaps it’s this natural thing where if you enjoy something, you at times kind of want others to get what you like about it. Anyhow, enough talk about what this watch (and brand) isn’t, and let’s look at the bonkers new Richard Mille RM 11-03 McLaren Automatic Flyback Chronograph.
Even though the Rolex Submariner 045 Replica is a tool lookout at heart, Rolex knows it is a luxury item now. So there are little things here and there meant for appearances greater than function. A good example is that the sapphire crystal. Rolex applies a coating of AR on the bottom of the crystal, but not on the top. This allows for the top of the crystal to be reflective and kind of makes it more shiny to onlookers. This is possibly a design decision by Rolex to make their products stand out more. It works also. The Rolex Submariner situation has changed very little through the years, but every advancement is welcome. This is because of the drag structure. I’d say that the bit wears closer to a 42mm broad watch.Rolex superbly uses plain casebacks on its watches. The Rolex Submariner’s screw-in caseback is devoid of any markings. The watches I have for review have been loaned from our friends at the boutique nearby in Beverly Hills. We agreed not to remove the protective plastic on the sides of the case, which you’re probably notice in the images. There’s also a type of bar code on the face of the situation which is a sequential identifier. That’s eliminated when folks purchase the watch. Rolex utilizes a standard of steel called 904L. Most steel watches utilize 316L steel. The differences are small, but involve more rust resistance in 904L steel from what I understand.
The RM011 has been around for ages, and in that time it has become the most instantly recognizable Richard Mille – it’s their Porsche 911, the only difference is that it costs more than most 911s. In all these years, the RM011 has seen many different variations, most notably the ones that have advanced in their details and have marked this evolution by taking on the brand’s naming scheme reserved for marking this progression. As such, the RM 11-03, although it’s been out for some time, is the most advanced 11-series Richard Mille thus far.
Before we talk looks, let’s get a glimpse under the hood: the RMAC3 caliber has a fly-back chronograph, a 60-minute countdown timer at 9 o’clock (that is actually a reversed 60-minute chronograph totalizer, but you won’t see that pointed out by anyone, really), a 12-hour totalizer, as well as an “oversize date” and month. The RM011 used to be an annual calendar, but there is no mention of that feature here – I guess it may still be in there somewhere.
If anything, a rather hilarious aspect of Richard Mille that I will point out is how challenged they seem to deliver their own tech specs. I’ve yet to see a Richard Mille product page on their website or a press release that has all the basic info and that didn’t have some mixed-up elements that look like some unbelievably quirky details and some important specs were written on post-it notes, put into a blender, and whatever came out arranged into a PDF. On this occasion, the RMAC3 caliber’s basic functions are discussed and right under it, it says: “Dimensions: 49.94 x 44.50 x 16.23 mm.” I mean, us nerds, we know that’s for a case, but should anyone outside of our circles dare cover this watch they’d have no idea.
True enough, they did create the first commercially noteworthy water resistant watch with all the Oyster. For that reason you see the “Oyster” tag on a great deal of Rolex goods, even though there is not a Rolex watch called the Oyster these days. Obviously, the Rolex Submariner D’oro Prezzo Replica is much more than just that. Originally made as a commercial diver’s watch from the 1950s, the Rolex Submariner today has a water resistance of 300 yards and a design that’s incredibly similar to the first. This design which mixes professional and sport looks is among the vital factors to the design’s success. The dial of the Rolex Submariner is smart, yet easy on the eyes. The black and white layout is supposed to offer you a high contrast for easy reading of the time. The lumed indicators and hands are supposed to ensure it is easy to read from the dark. A different style of hour and minute hand would be there for legibility, plus a particular character for the 12 o’clock indicator is meant to make it easy to mentally orient the dial if looking at it in the side.Rolex also utilizes 18k white gold on the dial for those hands and hour indicators. A few years back Rolex switched from a green toned lumed to a blue. This not only produced the lume glow blue, but allows for it to look more white throughout the day. Rolex also raised the dimensions of the hands and hour markers a few years ago when they released their “Maxi dial” style that I enjoyed, but of course proved controversial. Every change the brand makes is controversial, even when they did something small like removing the lug spring bar holes on the outside of the case. It is good because it had not been look to be anything more than a great looking, legible dial. It is a tool, and we like tools that work nicely. Rolex also makes their very own dials. When you look at a Rolex Submariner’s dial closeup, you will observe that the lume is equally applied, and that everything is cut very well.
I still enjoy reading amusingly detailed stuff like “Balance: Glucydur®, 4 arms, moment of inertia 4.8 mg.cm2 angle of lift 53°” or “Shock protection: INCABLOC 908.22.211.100 (transparent)” or “Barrel arbour – in AP 20 steel.” Just totally random, entirely intimidating and largely unintelligible stuff that I am absolutely sure they fully understand has no effect whatsoever on the mind of someone buying this watch – perhaps other than that of “cool intimidation” in isolated cases – and if that’s not a marketing thing already, then, well, it has to be.
Anyhow, all my watches must strictly have a 52° angle of lift, not one bit more, so the RM 11-03 is, unfortunately, off my list now!
The baseplate and bridges are still made from grade 5 titanium, an impressive feat – achieved by Vaucher manufacture who, along with APR&P, supply Richard Mille with movements; although I’ve seen that some work is performed on the movements on Richard Mille’s premises, which by itself is impressive as even their most basic movements have some cool and rare quirks. The RMAC3 caliber’s bridges and plates are crafted from an alloy of 90% grade 5 titanium, 6% aluminum, and 4% vanadium. The end result is a watch that feels feather light on the wrist with an unusual, but neat weight balance, hence drastically improving wearability.
Speaking of which, I should add that yeah, the design may not be for everyone, and the pricing is decidedly not for almost anyone – but the eggheads at Richard Mille could definitely teach the larger industry a thing or two about wearability and comfort. The Richard Mille watches I’ve had the chance to wear – including some for an extended period of testing, like this RM033 here, or this RM011 here – were all among the most comfortable watches I’ve ever worn. Without going into a deeper discussion of the topic, I’ll also add that unless you’re spending your time among the top 1% of the top 1% (which I am not), in my experience nobody, and I do mean absolutely nobody out in the real world recognizes Richard Mille watches, so the massive show-off factor that some associate with a watch that comes at six-figure prices is entirely unsubstantiated.
though the Rolex Submariner 904l Replica is a tool watch in mind, Rolex knows it is a luxury item now. So there are little things here and there intended for appearances greater than function. A fantastic case in point is the sapphire crystal. Rolex applies a coating of AR on the bottom of the crystal, but maybe not on the top. This permits for the cap of the crystal to be reflective and kind of makes it more shiny to onlookers. This is possibly a design decision by Rolex to make their products stand out more. It works also. The Rolex Submariner case has changed very little over time, but each advancement is welcome. The current size of the Rolex Submariner is 40mm wide, but it wears big for that dimension. This is because of the drag structure. I would say that the piece wears closer to a 42mm wide watch.Rolex superbly uses plain casebacks on its watches. The watches I have for review were loaned from our buddies at the boutique nearby in Beverly Hills. We agreed to not eliminate the protective plastic on either side of case, which you’re likely notice in the pictures. There’s also a sort of bar code on the side of the situation which is a sequential identifier. That’s removed when people purchase the watch. Rolex utilizes a standard of steel called 904L. Most steel watches utilize 316L steel. The differences are minor, but demand more corrosion resistance in 904L steel from what I know.
though the Rolex Submariner is a tool watch at heart, Rolex knows it is a luxury thing today. A good case in point is the sapphire crystal. Rolex applies a coating of AR on the base of the crystal, but not on the top. This allows for the cap of the crystal to be reflective and sort of makes it more glistening to onlookers. It works too. The Rolex Submariner situation has changed very little over time, but every improvement is welcome. This is due to the drag structure. I would say that the bit wears closer to some 42mm wide watch.Rolex superbly uses plain casebacks on its watches. The Rolex Submariner’s screw-in caseback is devoid of any markings. The watches I have for review were loaned from our friends in the boutique nearby in Beverly Hills. We agreed to not remove the protective plastic on the sides of the case, which you’ll probably see in the images. There’s also a sort of bar code on the side of the case that’s a sequential identifier. That is eliminated when people buy the watch. Rolex utilizes a grade of steel called 904L. Most steel watches utilize 316L steel. The differences are small, but demand more corrosion resistance in 904L steel from what I understand. If your Rolex Submariner spends a whole lot of time in saltwater, then it’ll look far better.
The case, whose dimensions we’ve familiarized ourselves with already, is a mix of Carbon TPT and Quartz TPT, two exclusive materials with, uhm, a matching appearance. The surface displays regular undulations, thanks to the countless, 45-micron-thin layers of parallel filaments, obtained by dividing carbon fiber or silica threads. These layers are impregnated with resin and then woven on a special machine that modifies the direction of the weft by 45° between layers. Then, Quartz TPT layers are saturated in an orange resin, developed specially for Richard Mille to, you guessed it, match the orange color of McLaren. Heated to 120°C at a pressure of 6 bars, these materials are then ready to be processed on a CNC machine in Richard Mille’s case factory. The case of the RM 11-03 is water-resistant to 50m, ensured by two Nitrile O-ring seals. The case is assembled with 20 spline screws in grade 5 titanium and abrasion-resistant washers in 316L stainless steel.
Like I said, the Rolex Submariner 8828 Replica Date and No Date versions have two different costs attached to them. The difference in price has to do with the date complication and actually depends on what you like. Even though the approximately $1,000 gap is appreciable. Many people today despise the “cyclops” magnifier on the dial and love the clean appearance of a simple dial. Others believe that it is only a real Rolex with the date window and crystal bubble. For the Rolex Submariner Date ref. 116610LN the cost is $8,550, along with the Rolex Submariner 114060 is retails for $7,500. After nearly a year of wearing a Rolex Submariner 114060 watch, I have come to at least one decision – this is a damn tough timepiece to conquer. The power of the Swiss company is that it has produced a demand for the title, in many ways, more so than the goods they create. We often come to me and say, “Ariel, I would like a Rolex.” I usually respond with, “OK, what Rolex would you desire?” The answer is, “I don’t understand, that is the reason why I want your help, I want you to help me choose one.” The concept there is that Rolex is a firm whose picture in many ways is more rapid than its own products. But at aBlogtoWatch, product is everything.The great news is that when it comes to merchandise, Rolex watches rarely let you down. Obviously, Rolex does not make every sort of watch you want and isn’t the best at everything, but there is not any denying that in addition to their enviable brand image, they left really good timepieces.
The end result is a case that’s an acquired taste. What Richard Mille gets right is that they, along with few other brands, understand that the people who buy one McLaren after the other, are constantly overwhelmed by the products they own – and I’m sorry, but the only reason they’d wear a flat, round, discreet, small, uncomplicated watch when they go for a drive, is because they’d enjoy the way it contrasts against all the tech in their cars. So, in this sense, this watch is a good match to McLaren, who’s been on a roll recently with the launch of the Senna and Senna GTR, the 720S and, a few years ago, the P1.
If I had all the money in the world, would I have and wear an RM011? You bet I would – had it complied with my strict angle of lift requirements, that is! Would it be this one with this much orange and yellow? Maybe not. Still, I imagine this latest RM 11-03 will do really well, as it’s an admirably good match to McLaren and its privileged clientèle.
Price for the Richard Mille RM 11-03 McLaren Automatic Flyback Chronograph is 180,000 CHF. richardmille.com
Rolex is just as much a lifestyle as it’s a watch brand, but we believe that a hands-on Rolex Submariner W Serial Number Replica review is still necessary since it’s supposed to be worn and used. The company is a legend, and their products are the cornerstone of a business that sells fantasies, status, quality and ideally, value. Whether or not individual entities in the luxury sector can deliver on these promises is not the same story, however, what makes Rolex so famous is its constant ability to really deliver these goals to a large extent. So today I look at probably the most popular Rolex product, the Rolex Submariner.For review I am looking at two Rolex Submariner models in steel. These represent the newest generation Rolex Submariner timepieces and are often referred to as the Rolex Submariner Date and Rolex Submariner No Date. The gap between them ought to be clear. One includes a date window with magnifier on that window onto the sapphire crystal, whereas the No Date has none of the to get a cleaner looking dial. While the difference is minor, it’s these little differences that are significant to midsize fans, and the cost difference between both isn’t inconsequential. UPDATE: Check our long-term Rolex Submariner 114060 watch review on aBlogtoWatch for even more.While I am rather well-versed in most things “watches,” I don’t believe myself to be a Rolex expert compared to a lot of people whom I know. I have a simple comprehension of the brand’s history, the development of its products, and what’s attractive about watches like the Rolex Submariner. Other individuals have extremely in depth understanding of each and every item, hard-to-find timepieces, differences in goods as they evolves, etc.. . The objective of this review is to talk about the modern Rolex Submariner into the mainstream watch lovers and people interested in this is a worthy timepiece. In short, the Rolex Submariner began the dive watch trend that made those kinds of sport watches the most desirable type of timepiece in the world – and using its crown logo, the Rolex Submariner thematically principles over the lot.
