In this humorous yet informative video, Watch Your Style’s Eric Rivera gives us a rundown of a Swiss luxury watch model that continues to make a big bang in our industry: the Richard Mille RM 011 Felipe Massa. Were you expecting a Patek Philippe or something?
It’s hard to believe that such a popular watch comes from a company that, in Swiss-watchmaking years, practically just came into existing. Richard Mille SA was founded in just 1999 by the French businessman Richard Mille and didn’t sell its first watch until 2001! How they ever managed to compete against more established high end Swiss brands that have been in business for over 100 years is a true monumental feat.
Eric sums it up well in the first part of his video when he says,…
“I think it’s pretty much official and safe to say, right now in 2015, that Richard Mille is here to stay.”
The RM11 Design
The RM11 is a true heavyweight that looks impressive on the wrist. As Eric describes, “This watch is a complete bully.” As a result, anyone wearing this behemoth from Richard Mille is sure to prominently stand out with a strong, radiating “watch game” (which must be one of Eric’s favorite buzz phrases).
Despite its impressive size, this Richard Mille timepiece is extremely comfortable due to its curved design.
Quoting Eric…
“It has a square Tonneau design, very comfortable on the wrist. You can see it has like a curved back. Once you put it on your wrist, it can of feels like a glove.”
This RM 11 model was named after the Brazilian Formula One racing driver who is also a personal friend of the company’s founder. It’s no wonder then that the chronograph was engineered to look like a sophisticated F1 racing machine (see the actual RM 011 model used on the video here).
As Eric explains…
“For years they kind of had this slogan that said a, ‘Racing Machine on Your Wrist.’ “
Furthering the watch’s racing connotation, he continues…
“It feels like an Aventador on the wrist.”
3 Important Things About the Richard Mille RM 11
Even though the RM 011 is Eric’s favorite watch in the luxury sports model, there are a few things that he does not like about the watch.
- Visibility of the Calendar Function – Erick explains that the calendar function at the bottom of the watch is difficult to make out. He feels that with a bit more white color, it would be a bit easier to read.
- Spring Loaded Clasp Functionality – Even though the RM 11 is very comfortable on the wrist once you put it on, Eric explains that the spring loaded clasp takes a bit of practice to master when putting on the watch.
- Unimpressive RM11 Box – Given that the watch is very high end and expensive in nature, Eric dislikes the fact that the Richard Mille box does not do the watch much justice. Even though he does not feel this issue is a deal-breaker, he does feel that perhaps a nicer, carbon fiber box might be more appropriate for the Felipe Massa timepiece.
How Much Does a Pre-owned RM 011 Cost?
In his video, Eric explains that the RM 11 can be found in pre-owned, like-new condition at a price of around 89,000 USD or higher.
Nevertheless, he explains that the watch is becoming more and more difficult to find due to limited supplies and increasing demand from watch connoisseurs. As a result, those interested in buying the RM11 might either not find one or take a much longer time than normal to locate it.
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For your convenience, here’s a link to our RM11 section.