Eight years of partnership and four models later, enthusiasts have learned to be very patient when it comes to new creations from McLaren and Richard Mille. For McLaren, their latest offering is substantial: the W1 boasts 1241 hp and a 2 million euro price tag. Its goal is to take on both Ferrari and Bugatti in the hypercar arena. For Richard Mille, it’s about continuing the motor racing and technical legacy of its founder, who is now (almost) retired from the brand that bears his name.
Richard Mille isn’t starting from scratch, however. Split-seconds chronographs are familiar territory for the brand, with a lineage including the RM 004, 008, 50-03 (also a McLaren collaboration) and the original RM 65-01 from 2020, right up to the colourful new versions launched last June. This new McLaren W1 edition continues that proud tradition.
A tried and tested calibre
The core mechanics remain largely unchanged. We see a classic tricompax split-seconds chronograph layout: central hours and minutes, and two chronograph seconds hands. At 9 o’clock there’s a 12-hour counter, with a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock and a small seconds at 6 o’clock completes the trio.
Additional features include a big date at 10:30 and a function selector at 4:30. This selector, operated by a column wheel, allows the wearer to choose between winding (W), date setting (D), and hand-setting (H) modes. A second column wheel governs the chronograph’s vertical clutch. Finally, as with previous versions, the barrel is wound not by turning the crown, but by pressing a dedicated pusher.
An ingenious double bezel
The case construction marks a departure from previous models. The RM 65-01 McLaren W1 features two superimposed bezels. The upper bezel is crafted from Carbon TPT® – a material exclusive to Richard Mille for watchmaking applications – which sits on a second bezel made from satin-finished and polished grade 5 titanium, scarcely half a millimetre thick at its thinnest point. Richard Mille notes that this design “required nine months of work and eight prototypes”.
This dual-bezel approach serves two purposes. First, it allows for a variety of finishes, enhancing the overall aesthetics and showcasing the brand’s expertise. And second, the upper bezel can adopt its own distinct geometry, in this case mirroring the curves of the McLaren W1. This clever design opens up new aesthetic possibilities, which we’ll no doubt see in future models.
Revolutionary case construction
Another technical innovation lies in the case construction. The traditional casing ring has been eliminated and instead, the movement is attached directly to the chassis using “silentblocs” (rubber-to-metal bushes) and titanium screws. This reflects Richard Mille’s commitment to producing watches that can withstand extreme conditions, and it’s not the first time we’ve seen the use of disruptive solutions. The RM 53-01 designed for polo player Pablo Mac Donough featured a movement suspended within the case by cables
The RM 65-01 replaces cables with shock and vibration absorption pads. While ingenious, this approach requires a level of technical mastery few brands can match. Richard Mille nevertheless plans to produce 500 of this horological tour de force, mirroring the production run of their previous McLaren collaboration, the RM 11-03 from 2018.
While the official price hasn’t been announced, industry sources suggest it will be in the region of 320,000 Swiss Francs.
