Richard Mille and McLaren Team Up for Powerful New Watch
A limited edition of 106 examples will be available for the McLaren Speedtail RM 40-01 Automatic Tourbillon
Luxury world's sexiest partnership has just gotten a little hotter.
With the release of the RM 40-01 Automatic Tourbillon McLaren Speedtail, Richard Mille and McLaren have announced their latest collaboration. As many examples as the 106-hp supercar it was developed for will be offered by the Swiss watchmaker, making it the most "extreme" timepiece ever.
A hybrid powertrain capable of producing 1,070 horsepower and 848 ft lbs of twist makes the McLaren Speedtail one of the most technologically advanced vehicles ever produced by the British automaker. In addition to accelerating from zero to 186 miles per hour in 12.5 seconds, the three-seater can travel at 250 miles per hour.
In any case, the McLaren Speedtail RM 40-01 Automatic Tourbillon sounds like something special, which is an awful lot to live up to. In the same way as the supercar, the watch features a teardrop design, which was refined over 18 months with five prototypes. It has 69 parts in total. Featuring a titanium bezel and caseback, Richard Mille's Carbon TPT caseband, and an asymmetrical strap with an orange accent at 6 o'clock, this timepiece is asymmetrical at 12 o'clock and wide at 6 o'clock.
As impressive as the watch is, the horological “engine” that drives it is supposedly developed over 8,600 hours. In addition to 37 jewels, the in-house CRMT4 movement is equipped with Grade 5 titanium bridges, screws, baseplate and rotor core, utilizing all the available space within the case. An oversize date and function selector complications, along with a power reserve indicator at 9 o’clock, are all new features for an automatic tourbillon from the brand.
McLaren and McLaren have not yet provided pricing information for the RM 40-01 Automatic Tourbillion. The McLaren Automatic Flyback Chronograph was a $189,360 watch with a limited run of 500, so we'd expect the watch to be a steep price. Based on past collaborations, like the RM 11-03, we'd expect the price to be high as well.
