The RM 50-03 Tourbillon Split Seconds Chronograph Ultralight McLaren F1 has two features: the world’s lightest split-seconds chronograph and the longest-named chronograph. We call it the RM 50-03 for short, and here’s what you need to know.
The RM 50-03 is the latest in a series of incredibly technical and powerful durable watches dedicated to the world of Formula 1, of which Richard Mille is now a longtime member.
The campaign was a fantastic stage for Richard Mille copy and the ultimate test of some of its most technical creations, many of which introduced high-performance material cases into the collection. Since its foray into the sport, the independent watch company has endorsed several F1 teams and signed several drivers as official ambassadors, and last year it announced a 10-year partnership with McLaren-Honda, And promises that the relationship will go beyond the watchmaker’s name plastered on the team’s cars.
Their first co-branded timepiece was the 50-03, a hand-wound tourbillon with hours, minutes, split-seconds chronograph with 30-minute totalizer, power reserve and Crown-controlled torque and function indicators. Oh, and it features a brand new shell material called Graph TPT.
Behind the scenes, the two manufacturers have been working on a new ultra-light and ultra-durable shell for this limited edition, turning to the University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute and North Thin Ply Technology (NTPT) for expertise. The RM 50-03 is the first watch made with Graph TPT, a proprietary composite material obtained by infusing graphene-containing resin into layers of carbon fiber.
The watch weighs only 40 grams, including the strap, which is very light. This makes it officially the lightest split-seconds chronograph ever made, let alone a tourbillon. On the wrist, its presence is still felt in a major way. The watch measures 44.5mm x 49.65mm and is 16.1mm from top to bottom, so despite its heavy weight, it doesn’t shrink the violet – though you wouldn’t expect that would it?
Will RM fans be excited about this new material that looks and feels so similar to previous cases? It remains to be seen, but it sounds like a good option. replica watches price