For a brand that introduced their first watch model only 16 years ago, Richard Mille have quickly become one of the biggest names in luxury watchmaking. With a host of celebrity endorsements and sponsorships  from the likes for everyone from Jackie Chan, Sylvester Stallone, Michelle Yeoh, Natalie Portman, Yohan Blake, Rafael Nadal, Bubba Watson and of course Felipe Massa (more on that in a minute), it’s no wonder how Richard Mille have become so big, so fast. But it would be wrong to attribute their success to celebrity association alone - the watches themselves are a huge contributing factor, offering some of the most advanced features available, in some of the world’s most experimental and high-tech materials, alongside characterful, 21st century aesthetics and most of all - paying homage to the venerable traditions of Swiss watchmaking. In today’s Time 4 Diamonds blog, we’re looking at a watch which is all of those things and more - the Richard Mille RM-011 Felipe Massa Custom from Time 4 Diamonds.

The Custom Bezel

The first thing that hits you when you take a look at this watch is the 18 carat rose gold bezel, which has been expertly diamond-set with around 2.5 carats of round-brilliant cut VS1 diamonds, in colours G-H. This bezel has been fastidiously designed and created by our own Time 4 Diamonds Customisation Department and replaces the original, plain, grade-5 titanium bezel, to add an extra sense of luxury to an already luxurious watch. This kind of customisation is characteristic of the superlative and imaginative work we do in the Time 4 Diamonds Customisation Department and if you’re interested in customising your own watch, whether it’s diamond or gem-setting, PVD, DLC or even just changing the dial - give us and call or email.

The Skeletonized Dial

The skeleton dial is one of the most distinctive visual and functional elements of this RM-011. Enclosed under anti-glare, curved sapphire crystal front, this dial has a lot going on, decorated with digital-style arabic numerals, with three chronograph dials, date and month displays, a tachymeter as well as the hours minutes and seconds. The oversized semi-instantaneous date display under the 12 o’clock register is a really cool addition here, framed in a red outlined horizontal aperture and working in tandem with the month display between 4 o’clock and 5 o’clock. The three chronograph dials feature a 60 minute countdown timer at 9 o’clock, a 12 hour totalizer at 6 o’clock and a seconds display at 3 o’clock, all with luminescent hands, offering just about every horological feature you could possibly need.

The dial also serves to show off the RMAC1 Richard Mille RM-011 movement, which features a brand-first flyback chronograph, allowing the wearer to rest the chronograph, without stopping or pausing the movement - extremely important when you’re measuring split-second timings like Formula One. One of the other important features of the movement is the variable geometry rotor, an exclusive Richard Mille design that allows you to adjust the automatic winding efficiency, depending on the the wearer’s activity.

The Case

There’s no hiding it, the Richard Mille RM-011 is a big watch and with a grade-5 titanium case measuring 40mm wide, 50mm in length and 16mm thick, it’s not one you’re going to miss. Borrowing aesthetic elements from its RM-004 and RM-008 predecessors, the RM-011 case itself was an entire year in research and development, requiring a whopping 202 separate machine operations to create, it’s principally composed from three grade- 5 titanium (and now rose gold) parts and held together with 20 grade-5 titanium screws. The large, triple-lock, rubber-framed grade-5 titanium crown and grade-5 titanium chronograph pushers add pleasing finishing touches to this instantly recognisable case, whilst the sapphire crystal case back allows you to observe the RMAC1 movement in all its glory.

A racing machine on your wrist

The classic black, vented rubber strap further adds to the sporty feel of this watch, which is complemented by the smooth-click grade-5 titanium safety clasp. Though we’ve established this watch wears big on the wrist, it doesn’t feel bulky whatsoever and feels surprisingly light - so much so that you could almost forget you’re wearing it. Thanks to its Felipe Massa association, Richard Mille first marketed this watch as ‘a racing machine on your wrist’, in homage to the race car precision that went into the tuning of the design. Though Richard Mille have only been on the block a short time, they’re clearly here to stay and this highly-collectable and now even more luxurious RM-011 Felipe Massa is already a classic among luxury watch enthusiasts.

Available in-stock and today from Time 4 Diamonds, this stunning, unique timepiece is priced at £89,995 and can be couriered internationally if required. If you’re interested in finding out more about this Richard Mille RM-011 Custom, one of the other fantastic pieces in our Time 4 Diamonds Bespoke collection, or even in having your watch customised, then contact us today - call 020 3893 2331 or email sales@time4diamonds.com.