Richard Mille timepieces are a luxurious and thematic extension of what sports cars would be if they lived on your wrist—at least that is the idea, given the race-inspired numerals and subdial registers. Your Porsche 911 can now have a garage stablemate that costs just as much but takes up much less room. Tonneau-shaped with large proportions and technologically inspired details, the RM011 Ti is your all-purpose timing instrument for the track, boat, plane, or even your desk.
Special versions of Swiss watches are rarely for sale only in North America, but this is one of those unique occasions. As a celebration of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Richard Mille will make the entire limited-edition set available solely at American and Canadian Richard Mille authorized dealers—with only 30 pieces to go around. Those who don’t move quickly enough to get their hands on a special edition can still find other versions of the Richard Mille RM011 watch.
Bold in pictures and sexier in person, Richard Mille timepieces pack an enthusiastic level of “wow.” The 40 mm-wide by 50 mm-tall case is in DLC (diamond like carbon) coated titanium for strength and scratch resistance. Night turns to day as the dark sheen of the case shifts to the bright white chapter ring, giving the RM011 Ti Americas White watch its name. Another white ring around the large crown helps assert the wintery concept.
The subterranean clockwork under the transparent dial appears ludicrously complex—because it actually is. The watch features a series of useful complications, including a 60-minute countdown timer, 12-hour chronograph, an annual calendar with a big-date window, as well as a smaller numerical month indicator, and, of course, the time via large hands tipped with lume-filled arrows. Countdown timers are rare on mechanical watches, however, in the RM011, a subsidiary dial counts down from 60 minutes while chronograph hands count up. To accommodate the extra subsidiary dial for the countdown timer, Richard Mille placed both chronograph minutes and hour counters in the same subdial. Completion of the racing theme includes a tachymeter scale (to measure speed with the chronograph based on a distance marker reference point) on the white chapter ring. This latter function will doubtfully be used by any of the 30 individuals who will eventually wear one of these—consider it cosmetic at best.
Reading the dial is remarkably plausible given the incredible amount of details seen on or through the watch face. You may however be distracted by observing the Richard Mille Caliber RM011 automatic flyback chronograph movement in action. The non-static image can allow you to appreciate the harmonious gears working in unison as the watch operates. Price for this limited edition Richard Mille RM011 Americas White watch is $90,000.
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