Avi & Co.’s Popular Richard Mille Partnership: The McLaren

Avi & Co. is proud to have the largest collection of Richard Mille watches in New York. The Richard Mille brand has perfected the combination of luxury with art and sport. It’s no surprise that we always have between 30 and 40 pieces in stock.

Popular collaborations with athletes and brands such as Felipe Massa, McLaren, and Bubba Watson are constantly showcased in our boutiques. The same can be said about the Richard Mille and Rafael Nadal collaboration. In fact, these watches are often sold so quickly that we barely have the chance to display them!

Aside from their instantly recognizable tonneau-shaped cases, their collaborations are what really make the Richard Mille watch brand stand out. Partnerships with athletes such as Yohan Blake and Roberto Mancini, and celebrities such as Pharell Williams, Jackie Chan, and Michelle Yeoh give the brand a sense of personalization. The mutual respect shared between these famous faces and the watchmakers at Richard Mille come to life in truly one-of-a-kind timepieces at the cutting edge of horological innovation.

“Richard chooses his ambassadors based on the values they represent,” Michell Yeoh says. “He chooses the ones he wants his brand to be associated with. Be that elegance, determination, integrity, or any number of specific things.”

Let’s look at one of Avi & Co.’s most popular Richard Mille collaboration pieces, the RM 11-03.

For many years, Richard Mille watches have been associated with motorsport. The brand’s first long-standing partner was Felipe Massa, a hallowed Brazilian race car driver who is well-known on the Formula 1 circuit and beyond. Since Massa’s integration into the Richard Mille Brand, the company has also partnered with many other racing pros, including Scuderia Ferrari F1 driver Charles Leclerc and McLaren F1 driver Lando Norris.

In fact, Richard Mille is a sponsor of the McLaren F1 Team as a whole – but their partnership with the McLaren brand does not stop there. In addition to partnering with the Formula 1 division of the company, where McLaren often tests out high-performance engines and sleek auto structures, Richard Mille has also linked itself to McLaren Automotive as a whole.

McLaren is known worldwide as a producer of highly exclusive luxury sports cars, with new models typically listing for over $10 million. Clearly, these are not cars that just anyone can drive. The prestige, precision, and coveted nature of McLarens perfectly mirror the desirability of Richard Mille watches: Everyone wants one, but there is simply not enough to go around.

So how did the partnership between McLaren and Richard Mille begin?

Richard Mille engineer Fabrice Namura collaborated with McLaren Automotive’s design director Rob Melville. Together, they released their first collaborative timepiece at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show. The watch is an icon of prestige.

The RM 11-03 Automatic Flyback Chronograph McLaren is Limited Edition of 500 timepieces. It incorporates more Formula 1 technologies than any previous Richard Mille. Described as a sports car for your wrist, the RM 11-03 is the perfect luxury timepiece for watch and car enthusiasts.

McLaren is a British motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in England. Having recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary on the Formula 1 grid, McLaren has won 20 World Championships and 182 Grand Prix titles.

In 2016, McLaren announced a 10-year Richard Mille partnership. Both brands share a passion for modern technology, cutting-edge design, and precision engineering. Richard Mille wanted to create an innovative watch that took the techniques and materials found in the F1 racing car development and the aerospace industry. From there, he created an extreme timepiece in the watchmaking world. That watch is the RM 11-03, one of the most popular Richard Mille collaborations of all time. With only 500 pieces in the world, it is also one of the most coveted watches in the Richard Mille lineup.

About the McLaren watch, Richard Mille says, “The chance to partner with McLaren is particularly timely. We've been evaluating Formula 1 on a restricted basis for several years. This opportunity has enabled us to engage in a deeper way with proper focus and effort directed on a major team."

As one of the world’s favorite Richard Mille collaboration watches, the RM 11-03 is highly coveted among watch collectors who love the sporty, tech-forward nature of the Richard Mille brand. So where can you get your hands on one of these desirable pieces? To find out, we talked to Avi & Co. sales executives to learn more about the RM 11-03 on the secondary market…

Here is what Avi & Co. Sales Executive Oswaldo had to say: “The McLaren is hard to find because there are strict requirements you must have. When it was first introduced, one of the contingencies was that you had to purchase the McLaren car. Then you had to show proof of ownership.”

In addition to owning the prestigious car, you also needed to work your way up the waitlist. You must build your credibility to even be chosen to purchase a Richard Mille watch. If this seems like an exhausting and costly endeavor, race on over to one of our three boutiques, located in New York City, Miami, and Aspen. With Avi & Co., we promise there are no waitlists or car-buying contingencies!

This is just one of many reasons why purchasing luxury watches on the secondary market is an excellent way to get your hands on the world’s hottest timepieces without jumping through all of the hoops associated with purchasing these watches from the manufacturer.

While nobody would consider a Richard Mille watch in terms of cost savings, purchasing an RM 11-03 from the manufacturer becomes incredibly pricey when you consider that you would also need to own a McLaren automobile. In fact, let’s do the math. The RM 11-03 was initially priced around $200,000. The average price of a McLaren is $312,000. Between those two purchases, buying an RM 11-03 from the manufacturer will set you back over half a million dollars!

When you purchase the Richard Mille McLaren watch from a secondary market reseller like Avi & Co., you won’t have to worry about buying a new car. Instead, focus on acquiring the horological masterpiece you have been dreaming of.

The RM 11-03’s 44 mm tonneau-shaped case is assembled with a fixed, quartz NTPT bezel. Its carbon TPT case is interlaced with orange quartz NTPT, which is flawlessly lightweight, flexible, and durable. The titanium inserts on the bezel are similar in shape to the iconic McLaren F1’s air-intake snorkel. The grade 5 titanium crown is shaped like a lightweight McLaren wheel.

Powered by the skeletonized automatic winding RMAC3 calibre, this timepiece has a 55-hour power reserve. This particular calibre is exclusive and inspired by McLaren. It also has an impressive water resistance of 164 feet.

Richard Mille isn’t afraid to shy away from adding a flash of color to his timepieces. The flashy and fun orange color plays tribute to the symbolic racing car. The speed mark logo is incorporated into the rubber strap. The ingenious timepiece originally had a $191,500 price tag when it was released in 2018. On the secondary market, however, prices can fluctuate.

The impressive technical specifications of the RM 11-03 McLaren model are far from the only thing to love about this watch. Its limited edition nature, dramatic color, and sophistication will turn heads. Its high-tech materials allow you to easily play sports while wearing the 11-03 without worrying about scratching it. It’s light enough to wear comfortably on the wrist, despite the use of similar materials used in the McLaren automotive. Since there are only 500 pieces in existence, this Richard Mille partnership is a unique investment.

Avi & Co. aims to always have a large collection of Richard Mille timepieces for all your collection needs. We strive to stock our showrooms with incomparable watches that you have never seen before. Not sure if the Richard Mille McLaren watch is the right collaboration for you? Richard Mille has also produced highly desirable collaborations that we can source for you from greats like Bubba Watson, Charles Leclerc, Rafael Nadal, and others.

So what are you waiting for? If you are looking for a Richard Mille watch on the secondary market, Avi & Co. is your trusted reseller. Visit one of our three boutiques in New York, Miami, or Aspen for a chance to try on and purchase one of these rare pieces.