Richard Mille has revamped its iconic RM 11 spots watch which was launched in 2007 and introduced its successor, called the RM 11-03 Automatic Flyback Chronograph. 

The vision was to imbue the new automatic RMAC3 calibre with a 3-D quality and to bring its complexity to the fore, says the luxury Swiss brand.

The glossy bevelled rims marked with intermediate times surrounding the coloured counters of the flyback chronograph and seconds window confer depth. This sense of volume is further accentuated by an upper bridge in satin-brushed grade 5 titanium that contrasts with the movement, also crafted of titanium but with a PVD coating. 

This creates a visual itinerary that sweeps around the annual calendar with its oversize date, as well as the 12-hour counter and countdown function of the flyback chronograph. 

The maze continues on the back of the calibre with a satin-brushed PVD-treated lower bridge that highlights the double barrel mechanism and the modern lines of RM’s new variable-geometry rotor in titanium, inspired by the aerodynamic appendages seen in Formula One. 

This technical solution makes it possible to adjust automatic winding of the watch to the wearer’s activity level by varying the inertia of the rotor thanks to two microblasted and chamfered wings in 18-karat white gold. Offering six possible positions, the satin-brushed and PVD-treated grade 5 titanium rotor is mounted on ceramic ball bearings.

The entire flyback chronograph movement is designed for optimal rigidity, and high performance functioning of its gear trains thanks to the titanium employed for the baseplate and bridges. Its two barrels, mounted side by side, ensure stable coupling while providing a power reserve of around 55 hours. The 4 Hz free sprung balance is highly resistant to shocks and can be tuned more precisely than a traditional balance wheel.

The three-part tonneau case has also been reworked, lending the watch a sportier, more dynamic character. Skilled workmanship and protracted machining times are required to achieve the level of ergonomics and finishing that the case exhibits. 

Details recalling automobile racing abound in the RM 11-03. The titanium crown borrows the design of competition wheel rims and tyre treads. The grooved pushers, machined of the same material recall the surface of pedals, have covers made of another material as ubiquitous as titanium in Formula 1: NTPT carbon. 

As always with Richard Mille, the entire mechanism can be admired through anti-reflective coated sapphire glass that reveals the calibre. The case, available in red or white gold and titanium, is held together by 20 grade 5 titanium spline screws.

Richard Mille says the RM 11-03 Flyback Chronograph is in every sense a sports watch, displaying the brand’s new aesthetic and heavily inspired by automotive history. 

The new watch was unveiled at the third Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille concours d’elegance, held on September 4 on the ground of the Domaine de Chantilly in France.