If you didn’t know, this year’s Le Mans Classic is due to start on the 6th of July, and last for 2 days. As Principal Partner and official Timekeeper of the fabled competition, Richard Mille will be presenting two limited edition exquisite timepieces, the RM 011 LMC and the RM 008 LMC.
Some of the most accurate and high precision watches in the world, these two are an actual tribute to the renowned vintage car event. The race can also be considered as a retrospective of the traditional Le Mans 24 Hours race.
The most obvious connection between these two timepieces and the world of racing cars is that both ideas are based on a strict and powerful cohesion between the finest manufacturing process, efficiency and high-performance. We’re now going to depict them one at a time:
Starting with the RM 011 LMC Automatic Chronograph watch, we note that it includes a skeletonized automatic movement with flyback chronograph and annual calendar. As the race takes place from 4 p.m. on Saturday and ends at 4 p.m. on Sunday, the creators of the watch pay a spiritual tribute to the event by decking it with a 24 hour counter, placed at the 6 o’clock position, which also honors the total of 400 drivers and cars that have so far taken part in the race. A trained eye can easily spot the colors of the rumble strips on the renowned circuit in the Sarthe painted on the hands, date and chronograph counters.
The manufacture of the watch has involved a huge load of machine-manufacturing processes, especially when referring to the barrel-shaped titanium case, which alone needed around 200. They’ve also finished the bezel so well that it resembles satin, also featuring a double “Le Mans” microblasted stripe along its centre. In a more technical approach, it sports a skeletonized automatic movement that shows the hours, minutes and seconds, a huge date and month display, rotor with variable geometry and flyback chronograph with a 24-hour counter. In addition, it will only be produced in 150 units, will boast a 50-hour power reserve and measures 50 mm in length, 40 mm in width and 16.15 mm in thickness.
The other piece, the RM 008 LMC Tourbillion Chronograph Watch, as its name says, sports a tourbillion split-seconds chronograph. As the previous version, it was decked with colors that match the blue and yellow rumble strips on the circuit. Furthermore, an elegant Le Mans Classic logo has been placed at 12 o’clock, as a tribute to the race. It features a microblasted case and a DLC-coated caseband, while the “Le Mans” bezel is also microblasted, just like the 011 LMC.
This timepiece, on the other hand, will only be manufactured in 2 units, crafted from titanium, including a 70-hour power reserve and measuring 48 mm in length, 39.7 mm in width and 14.95 mm in thickness. Technically, it boasts with torque and function indicators, split seconds chronograph function and power reserve, and a manual winding tourbillion movement that shows the hours, minutes and seconds.
