Most people who don’t know watches think Richard Milles look like something you’d find in a Happy Meal. I used to be one of those people. I remember sitting at a bar in Miami back in 2018—The Surf Club, if you care—and seeing this guy with a bright orange, tonneau-shaped plastic-looking thing on his wrist. I actually leaned over to my wife and whispered, “Is that a Swatch?” It was an RM 11-03 McLaren. It costs more than my first three cars combined. I felt like a complete idiot once I realized what it was, but that’s the thing about RM: they don’t care if you think they look cheap. That’s almost the point.
The RM 11-03 is the only one that actually matters
If you’re looking for the absolute best watches for men Richard Mille has ever produced, you start and end with the RM 11-03. It’s the quintessential “I’ve made it and I want you to know” watch. It’s thick, it’s obnoxious, and the flyback chronograph movement is basically a miniature Formula 1 engine strapped to your arm. I’ve handled a few of these through a buddy who deals in high-end pieces, and the level of finishing on the skeletonized dial is stupid. It’s like trying to read a map during a hurricane, but you don’t buy an RM to tell the time. You buy it because you want to feel the mechanical complexity vibrating against your skin.
Pure ego.
What I mean is—actually, let me put it differently. The 11-03 is the one that defined the brand’s modern era. Most of the newer stuff feels like they’re trying too hard to be “lifestyle” brands, but the 11-03 felt like a genuine engineering flex. It weighs about 120 grams depending on the strap, which is heavy for an RM but feels substantial compared to their ultra-light stuff. I personally think the Rose Gold version is the only one that doesn’t look like a toy, though the Carbon TPT is what the “collectors” scream about. I disagree. The carbon looks like compressed lint if you aren’t standing in direct sunlight.
The RM 11-03 isn’t a watch; it’s a structural statement that happens to have hands.
The part nobody talks about (The RM 67-02)
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say something that will probably get me roasted on some watch forums: the RM 67-02 is the only Richard Mille that is actually comfortable to wear. I know, I know, the 27-01 is lighter, but the 67-02 is thin. Like, 7.8mm thin. Most RMs feel like you’re wearing a brick of expensive cheese on your wrist, but this one actually disappears. I wore a friend’s Wayde van Niekerk edition for about twenty minutes during a lunch meeting and forgot it was there. That’s dangerous for a watch that retails for six figures.
Anyway, back to the point. Most people go for the big, bulky RMs because they want the silhouette to be visible from across the room. But if you actually care about horology—or just not hitting your watch against every door frame you walk through—the 67-02 is the move. It’s the “stealth” RM, if such a thing even exists. It uses the CRMA7 caliber which is just… fine. It’s not a masterpiece of movement design, but it’s reliable. I think people overrate the technicality of RM movements sometimes. They’re good, but you’re paying for the case materials and the branding, let’s be real.
- RM 67-02: Best for daily wear (if you’re a billionaire).
- Weight: Roughly 32 grams including the strap.
- The Vibe: “I actually exercise in my luxury watch.”
I might be wrong about this, but the RM 011 is overrated
I used to think the RM 011 Felipe Massa was the holy grail. I was completely wrong. I saw one recently at a trade show and it just looked… dated. The proportions are slightly off compared to the newer 11-03, and the crown looks like it was stolen from a child’s Lego set. I know people love the history of it, but in terms of the best watches for men Richard Mille offers today, the 011 is a pass for me. I’d rather buy a high-end AP Royal Oak Offshore and keep the extra $150k.
I also refuse to recommend the RM 010. It’s boring. It’s the “entry-level” RM that people buy just to say they have one. It lacks the soul of the more aggressive designs. If you’re going to spend that much money, go big or go home. Buying a “subtle” Richard Mille is like buying a quiet Lamborghini. What’s the point?
Total waste of money.
The ‘Nadal’ Factor (RM 35-02)
We have to talk about the 35-02. This is the one you see on every celebrity’s wrist. It’s the red one. I tested the shock resistance on a similar TPT material (not an actual RM, I’m not insane, but a sample of the material) and that stuff is indestructible. You can literally drop it on concrete and it just bounces. The RM 35-02 is rated for 5,000 Gs of shock. For context, a car crash is about 50-100 Gs. It’s absurd. It’s overkill. I love it for that reason alone.
But here is the catch: the red Quartz TPT looks like a piece of candy. I saw a guy wearing one at a wedding in Tuscany last year and he looked like he was wearing a prop from a Power Rangers set. It didn’t match his suit, it didn’t match the vibe, but he didn’t care. That’s the RM energy. It’s a refusal to blend in. I respect the engineering—the variable-geometry rotor is a cool trick—but I could never pull it off.
I wonder sometimes if the bubble will ever burst. I see these prices on Chrono24 and think, “There’s no way a piece of plastic and titanium is worth $400,000.” But then I remember that value is just a collective hallucination we all agree on. And right now, everyone is hallucinating about Richard Mille.
If you’ve got the cash and you want the best, get the RM 11-03 in Titanium. It’s the most honest version of what the brand is. Don’t bother with the diamond-encrusted ones; they look desperate. Just get the raw engineering and wear it with a t-shirt. That’s the only way to do it without looking like you’re trying too hard.
I’ll stick to my beat-up Tudor for now. It doesn’t survive 5,000 Gs, but then again, neither do I.
