Richard Mille

After reading the recent posts, I'm a bit concerned that if I buy a RM I'll be disappointed.  It seems typical to have to send evena new RM to be serviced sometimes multiple times, and even if it doesn't have to be serviced, it's not likely to be very accurate, gaining minutes per day, or at leat 15 seconds per day.  I'm used to extreamly reliable watches that only need regular servicing every 4 or 5 years, and which gain anywhere from less than 1 second per day (Patek 3970) to 7 seconds per day (cheap IWC sports watch).  The RMs do look awefully nice, and seem to be on the cuting edge of design, but I don't date women who are just beautiful.  So, I'm wondering what is your experience with RM?  How reliable is your RM (how long you've had it and how many times it's been sent back for service) and how accurate is it?
Eric von Schonberg

Hello Eric

I have an RM11 , i have not taken it off my wrist for 6 months.............it is a very attractive piece to me........i cannot wear my APs or Daytona anymore.

It is not a traditional looking watch like a Patek or Lange.(Nice ....but predictble like my grandma.....it is daring.

I look at it is a Supermodel Supermum ............with a Postgraduate degree..........i try not to be influenced too much by opinions and tend to buy what apeals to me....hey..life is too short to worry about what other enthusiasts or collectors think.

The first time i saw an RM ad in a magazine.....never heard about the brand before.....I  absolutely loved the shape and style.

Dont judge the coffee until you taste it.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions........

I firmly believe that you will love the Rms once you wear one.

 

Regards

Faiyaz

 

hi eric

i own an RM010 (about 3 months now) and all i can say is that its amazing

keep in mind that the RM010 & 005 have the simplest complication (actualy NO complication) but never the less i can'yt take my eyes away from it as i keep glancing on it over and over

i try to keep the watch rotation steady as i keep wearing my APs and rolexs and B&Rs but the RM gets the most wrist time

as for its accuracy i would say its quit accurate (mine +- 4 to 5 sec a day) and that is more than enough for me

but then again you could face inaccuracy with any brand even PPs it happens and when it does all you need to do is service it

 

i havn't serviced my RM yet simply because there's no reason to

to conclude if you love the watch and realy connect to it

if it keeps haunting you in your dreams and keeps you daydreaming

JUST GET IT and enjoy each and every moment with it on your wrist

for me it was and is totally worth it

Hi, Got my RM11 in dec. and it stopped working in feb. sent it back to the factory and haven't seen it since. In june they said it failed to pass inspection again..why they won't replace it ? If they are making more would't you take care of this one first.  it was expensive  ps. you need two rm11( i did) so why one is being fixed you can wear the other like the old jags.

This message has been edited by here on 2008-07-06 07:06:39

Dear RM aficionados,

I owned a RM005 RG but unfortunately had all the same problems, which were described in the posts in the past...

At first my leather-strap broke down and nearly at the same time the movement had it first problems - it stopped over and over again. After a service time of 5 months (without my RM) I got it back but 6 months later it had again problems with the movement - that is thought-provoking - if you were a RM it is something really special and in spite of the above mentioned problems i still love the brand and its products - but I hope the watches get more reliable!

At the end I have to say that within this time all the people from Richard Mille and at the AD´s were always very kind & corteous and tried to do everything to solve the problems....

See you

monaco68

 

I have WG RM005 and had some issues with it only after about 5 months of use.

The unit would loose about 10 mins a day and was very erratic.

Took it to my AD who were absolutely wonderful about the whole situation....They put it on a machine, determined there was nothing they could do about it and sent it back to RM for servicing.

RM did the right thing and just swapped out the whole movement...it's like getting a new engine in the same chassis.

I also suffered from the same strap issues that many other people have complained about and as part of the inconvience of the service, the AD swapped out my degrading black rubberized leather strap for the kevlar strap with the new style deployment buckle.

Got it back in about 8 weeks and it's been running fine after that.....this is the level of service I expect from RM and a top notch AD and I was not disappointed.

-Sam

I've just started looking into Richard Mille watches, so I'm sharing these current impressions, so that other more knowledgeable can say which of these impressions are on the right track and which ones miss the mark:

1. Very impressive from a design standpoint!:  modern computer-aided mechanical engineering and almost obsessive perfection regarding the selection of raw materials.
2. While design appears to be impressive, execution appears to be lacking.  Richard Mille admits he is not a watchmaker.  I'm left wondering about whether Richard Mille has experienced watchmakers actually building the watches.  If a watch without any complications (RM005) needed to have its "engine" swapped out, more complicated pieces such as the ones with tourbillons and rattrapantes are probably constantly breaking.  Maybe their owners don't notice if they keep such complicated pieces in original plastic wrap and inside safes as investments.
3. The watches look great in photos and probably even better in person!  They are probably very versatile and can be worn with anything from very casual to business casual.
4. Although they look rugged they are probably not rugged.  You probably wouldn't want to wear one when doing much physical activity.  Also, the brushed metal cases probably show scrathches quite clearly.
5. Owning a RM is probably similar to the experience of owning a Ferrari.  A Ferrari is fun to drive (I've owned one, so I know) but it tests your patience because it is almost always in the shop.  There seems to be a lot of parallels here to RM watches.  Ferraris are the product of great craftsmanship and design, but their build is shoddy.


Eric von Schonberg

Hi Eric

The basic models have movements manufactured by Vaucher , well respected mnfr. They also do the base for the RM11, i believe a Dubuis Depraz Chrono Complication.

The tourbillon and chronos are done by Renaud and Papi..movement and watch assembly............THE company to deal with when sourcing specialised movements...Rmemeber...Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey also spent many years at AP RP........there is extensive collaboration between RM and AP RP......they do ALL the Audemars complications. Some of RMs contribution has filtered in to other brands as well....via RP.

When Richard MIlle says he is not a watchmaker....perhaps one should see beyond the obvious. Mr Mille decided to build his watches sourcing the best case and movement manufacturers..............no compromise...Rejection rates on components are very very high........RM is a young company....yet even Mr Stern and other leaders of great watch companies acknowledge RMs contribution to the Industry....in many ways....he has raised the bar.

He has broken the mindset that weight=value.....009.....and titanium models of the 004 and 008.

Doing extensive searches.....i and many other WISs feel the RM004 is THE finest chrono ever designed and built by the genius , Guilio Papi.

Yes , there was , is and will be teething problems...........however..............i recall many Patek 5960p being sent back....and 5980s.

Which watch companies have given us such memorable watches like the RM 004 , 008 , 009(WOW) and RM12 (WOWOWOWWO) which i was fortunate to handle earlier this year.....even Felix Baumgartner from Urwerk asked if he could purchase an RM12.......................if i could live with only one watch for the rest of my life....it would be the 12.

I would love to own a Lange Double Split , Patek 5970 . 5960 ........ AP Perpetual...............i have handled some of these dream pieces..........none as natural and comfy on the wrist as an RM.

Best of luck in your journey .

Faiyaz

 

Eric:

While I can't speak for the ruggedness of the complicated pieces made by Renaud et. Papi, I can certainly vouch for the ruggedness of the RM005 and RM010 series, with emphasis on the RM010 as it is available with the rubber strap (note that strap durability tends to be questioned on this site). Recently, I was able to purchase the rubber strap, and I have been wearing the RM010 constantly - swimming, running, and exercising. So far, no issues whatsoever, and it has been a wonderful traveling companion. I was originally attracted to the brand because of Felipe Massa's experience on F1 with several of his RM pieces - which stay on his wrist on the track and off - which is a testament to the durability of the movement.

Good luck with your decision!

I own two R Mille's 05 and 14,I had to send the 05 back last year for routine sevice. wear it every day in south florida hot and sticky, ocean and pool even tennis with the new strap holding up very well no problems and also great accuracy.RM 14 is just a beast in every sense of the word runs well no issues going on 18 months.

Over the years I have owned numerous watches,I had to send a patek back twice in one year had a problem with roger dubuis,IWC,AP and F .P journe with three different watches, Thease things happen.

My RM  may stop working tomorrow who knows but one thing  I do know the next watch I buy will be a RICHARD MILLE.

Good luck.

.

I purchased my RM 010 this year after admiring the line for several years, Leon Adams (who sold me my first AP many years ago) spent quite a bit of time with me extolling the unque and highly technical features. He was wearing a Ti piece that he wears while gofing.

I think the watch is absolutely beautiful and it finds its way through my rotation at least once week. It is art much like I view the G & F Invention 1 or the AP deadbeat seconds.

If it calls you - buy one...

Had some type of teething problem because the minute hand wouldn't move when I turned the crown.  Nevertheless, I got the watch back very quickly (I believe 1.5 months if I remember correctly), and watch has been functioning flawlessly ever since.  Plus, they must have tweaked the movement so the chrono secs and minute hands don't jump anymore upon chrono activation so I'm actually glad it did break

And futhermore, if my RM11 did break again, it wouldn't affect my love for the watch.  I'm not afraid to express my opinion that I think RM watches are overpriced, but the smile on the face everytime I stare at the skeleton dial is worth every penny for me.  Absolutely love my RM and will never sell it unless I really have to.

Cheers,
Anthony

This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2008-07-07 21:28:24

I'm leaning towards testing the waters with an entry level piece first.

So, I've started looking into sizes more.  I thought Panerais were big, but these
watches are huge!  It looks like the RM005 is the smallest one, but at 45mm it's
about the size of a typical Panerai!  What's even more amazing is that aparently
this watch was too small, because it's now replaced with the RM010, which is
a colossal 48mm!  At 18.5cm my wrists are about average, so I'm not even sure
a 48mm watch will fit, and even if it does, I'm wondering how it will look, and how
many laughs I'll get.

Thanks everyone for your posts!

Eric von Schonberg

The Panerai 44mm does not include the lugs.....with lugs it is arounf 54mm.

RM does not have lugs.....i find my RM11 to be slightly smaller feeling than a Panerai Luminor 44mm  ....and a much better fit!

I find my 11 wears smaller than an Offshore...............my opinion.

The 005 would be the perfect fit for all occasions............................The amazing think with RM is that the strap and watch wraps very naturally around the wrist.............

Unfortunately watch companies provide size info using the width of the watch.......i prefer the lug to lug measure as a guage of size.

I hope this helps.

I'll have to take a look at one in person.
Eric von Schonberg

Hi,

Each time I've tried on a RM (even the RM011 which is the largest one I think) i've found it perfectly wearable.

It is indeed true that nearly all RM feel smaller on the wrist than a 44mm Panerai.

Dje

ps: I had a 10 and a 15 on my wrist on Monday afternoon and I still can't sleep (nearly)!

I visited an AD and tried one on.  The RM010 is about the same size as my Patek 5970, counting the lugs on the 5970.  So, they both take up about the same amount of space on my wrist.  But, the key difference is that the RM010 is actually much more comfortable, since it has a curved back.  So, the RM010 is a perfect size for my average-sized (18cm) wrists.

The only one in stock in a white metal was WG.  The WG gives the watch considerable heft.  I'll come back when they have titanium, since I'm leaning towards getting something ultra light.

I also got a chance to see the RG version.  The RG RM010 is much more flashy than the WG RM010.  The difference is even more pronounced when you see the watches in person.  The WG and probably Ti ones are very stealth and unlikely to attract lots of attention.  The RG on the other hand will definitely attract lots of attention, perhaps even unwanted attention from muggers.
Eric von Schonberg

Eric, It's easy for people to tell you their story of woe. I'm not saying RMs are perfect or work like a charm everytime.
However, this forum represents, maybe 1-2% of RM owners. I'm not degrading any issues that owners have had. But certainly you can find those every forum here.

The issue is if you decide to make the purchase, make sure you buy from an AD, who can be of invaluable assistance if you have a problem.

C'mon Eric, life is way too short and fleeting to deny yourself the pleasure of owning such an amazing timepiece.

It's the same as a Ferrari. People will say, "I'd never spend that much on just a car"....until they have the pleasure of driving one and then it's all they can think about.

All my best,

Larry

Larry,
First of all, your RM10 looks nice!  Is it white gold or titanium?

You do have a point, and now that I realize the watch is not as big as I had imagined, I'm planning to take a look at one in person.  Originally, I was planning to look at an RM5, but ADs seem to be out of them right now.  Now, I'm thinking RM10 may still be a good size, so I'll take a look at that when I can get to an AD.  I figure an RM10 is a good first RM to own.

I'm probably inclined to go with either a titanium or white gold one, since all my other watches have a white metal case.  Since RM watches make use of lightweight materials in the movement, titanium may be especially appropriate, and having an ultra light sports watch might be nice.  I already have enough watches with precious metal cases and much heft.  Rose gold looks nice, but for some reason it seems too dressy for such an industrial looking watch.  I can see getting a Patek 5970 in rose gold, but in my opinion it doesn't seem to be the best fit for an RM.
Eric von Schonberg

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