Richard Mille and McLaren bring supercar performance to the wrist with the RM 65-01 McLaren W1, a high-frequency split-seconds chronograph built with the same extreme engineering spirit as the car that inspired it.
Richard Mille, a Swiss brand with a relatively short history, has made a name for itself as one of the most sought-after watchmakers in the industry, creating timepieces that are not only highly exclusive but also built to be worn in the harshest and most demanding environments.
Richard Mille and McLaren officially began their partnership in 2016, which also extends to the Formula 1 team, built around shared values of performance, innovation, lightweight engineering, and high-tech materials. It is partnerships like this that have allowed the brand to evolve as well, creating watches that can be used in the most demanding environments, like tennis matches, for example!
This latest creation, the Richard Mille RM 65-01 McLaren W1, marks the fourth major McLaren collaboration, following the release of the RM 50-03 McLaren F1, RM 11-03 McLaren and RM 40-01 McLaren Speedtail. The watch was created not only to celebrate the decade-long partnership, but also to mark the latest “1” car from the brand, the W1, following on from the F1 and P1 hypercars. Richard Mille has taken this same idea of extreme performance and translated it into a high-frequency automatic split-seconds chronograph built for speed, complexity and everyday use.
Design
As expected, the case design of the Richard Mille RM 65-01 McLaren W1 was inspired directly by the McLaren W1 car, with Richard Mille’s team first working with a clay model of the car to get an idea of the body shape and its refined design. The watch took up to three years of development, with the 43.84mm x 49.94mm x 16.19mm case and bezel taking around 16 months of prototyping and nine months on the final version.
The case is crafted from Carbon TPT®, a material exclusive to Richard Mille in watchmaking, giving the watch high strength, lightness and the signature layered carbon appearance. The bezel then incorporates satin-finished and polished grade 5 titanium, along with Carbon TPT®, creating a highly technical and layered construction. Richard Mille states that the bezel is the brand’s thinnest titanium bezel to date, measuring just 0.5mm. Another defining trait of the bezel is its crenellated design, which gives it a strong aesthetic appeal while also adding depth to the contours of the watch.
As with most McLaren editions from Richard Mille, the dial is skeletonised and features orange details that reference the automotive maker’s signature colour. The internal design of the dial is stated to be heavily inspired by McLaren wheel rim patterns, which we can see through the design of the sub-counters.
This is certainly one of the more colourful McLaren editions from the brand, with the tips of the hour and minute hands done in yellow, while light blue is used for the split-seconds hand and orange for the chronograph seconds hand. These three colours are then used throughout the dial for the sub-counters, dial frame and function selector display.
The overall design of the dial is meant to evoke the feel of a supercar dashboard, using colour to improve the legibility of the skeletonised layout while also separating the different chronograph functions.
Movement
Inside the RM 65-01 McLaren W1 is the RMAC4 automatic split-seconds chronograph calibre. This is one of the brand’s most technically advanced automatic chronograph movements, taking almost five years to develop. It is also the first automatic split-seconds chronograph for the brand, proving just how special this movement is for Richard Mille. What is also impressive is that the movement operates at a high frequency of 5Hz, or 36,000 VpH, while still producing an impressive 60-hour power reserve. With split-seconds chronograph capability and a high-frequency movement, it is normal to have the power reserve on the lower end, as the movement draws more energy to keep it running at high accuracy.
The RMAC4 calibre features hours, minutes, small seconds at 6 o’clock, date, 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, 12-hour counter at 9 o’clock, split-seconds chronograph, function selector, rapid winding and a variable-geometry rotor. The movement’s baseplate and bridges are made from grade 5 titanium, with finishing that includes wet sandblasting, PVD and electroplasma treatment, hand-polished anglage, burnished pivots and diamond-polished sinks.
Initial Thoughts
I’ve always been a fan of Richard Mille’s automotive-inspired creations, infusing innovation and complex technologies derived from high-performance industries while still keeping the essence of watchmaking. This helps keep the industry moving forward. This RM 65-01 McLaren W1 does all of that, while also feeling like a very natural continuation of Richard Mille and McLaren’s partnership.
Rather than simply being a colour-change collaboration, this watch clearly draws inspiration from the McLaren W1’s bodywork, cockpit, wheel rims, materials, and performance-driven design. The Carbon TPT® case, titanium bezel construction, papaya orange accents and skeletonised dial all give the watch a strong McLaren identity.
While I’m not fully on board with the crenellated design of the bezel yet, I can see why it has been integrated into the design, allowing the pushers to gain more visual identity while also creating a standout effect that matches how extreme this watch is technically. Limited to 500 pieces, the RM 65-01 McLaren W1 feels like a proper mechanical counterpart to the McLaren W1, rather than just another automotive-themed limited edition!
References & Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Reference | RM 65-01 Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph McLaren W1 |
| Dimensions | 43.84 x 49.94 x 16.19mm thick |
| Case | Carbon TPT® and microblasted, polished, and satin finished grade 5 titanium. |
| Dial | In grade 5 titanium with black galvanic treatment, satin finished, and microblasted. Orange, blue, and yellow colours are used for various elements of the dial, including sub-dials, dial ‘frame’, chronograph hands and function indicator. |
| Crystal | Sapphire (1,800 Vickers) with anti-glare treatment (both sides |
| Caseback | Open, sapphire |
| Movement | RMAC4 Automatic split-seconds chronograph calibre |
| Power Reserve | 60h |
| Beat Rate | 5Hz / 36,000VpH |
| Water Resistance | 200m / 20bar |
| Strap/Bracelet | Interchangeable black or orange rubber strap. |