Why all the hype around RM?I have never really got it, but on the other hand I've never seen one in real life..
Do they really have something unique to offer or is it just hype now..
And if you like them, why?

 

I think it's a combination of hype, marketing and genuine horology. They certainly can't be accused of using mass produced, off the shelf movements. Combined with less main stream and sometimes expensive materials there is an argument that they can command a higher price bracket.

Are they my taste? No. If I had that kind of money to throw around on a watch (or a few) it wouldn't be a Richard Mille.

 

if your goal is to win the french open, I'd highly suggest to get one. In the last 10 years 80% of the winners wore a RM while playing the tournament

 

Looks like a watch for those who don't really care what time it is and have all the time in the world to try to pick out the hands among the clutter of those dials.
The designs would go over great with kids 8-12.

 

Richard Mille is a watch non-owners love to hate, mainly because of the price. Are they hideously expensive, yes. Are their designs cutting edge, yes again. But the quality and uniqueness of materials and complications can't be challenged, case work is impeccable. I've been fortunate to own three Mille's over the years, a joy to wear, very reliable and construction that is state-of-the-art. Most people haven't seen one in person or handled one so they are just speaking from pictures which we know is often very deceptive. But strap one on and wear it, you'll better understand.

Here is my RM-11 in rose gold and titanium, flyback chrono, annual calendar. And my RM-028 in all gold, most intricately machined case I've ever seen, all perfectly finished and assembled. And if you have a problem with RM, take it up with Stallone.

 

A student of mine has one. His dad owns an oil and gas company, and a football team and a chain of hotels, so it's more than likely real. It looks a lot better in person than in photos. A lot more legible too. As a piece of engineering it is excellent but there are still plenty of other watches I would choose over a RM.

 

I don't own one, nor do I aspire to own one. Having said that I have to agree with what you've stated. It's a small market, very sports oriented with state of the art materials, in your face design and colours and I love how you can enjoy the movement from both ends of the watch.

Would I purchase one (if I could afford it)? It's not my cup of tea, but having seen a few in the wild, they sure look amazing in person and can understand the appeal to it.

 

Thoughts?
Rappers and F1 drivers have them.

 

Football managers seem to like them, I saw Frank Lampard and Pep Guardiola sporting a few on the side line (sad that I am looking at what watches the managers wear during a game)

RM himself said that people purchase his watches because they can afford them. It's a watch that divides the actual rich from the wealthy and more power to whoever owns one as most rich people have grafted hard in life and taken massive risks to get to where they are, not every rich person is a trust fund kid.

If you can afford to have an RM, chances are there are multiple properties and a fleet of supercars to go with it and maybe a nice boat and private jet.

No idea what they look like in real life but I can only imagine the attention to detail is out of this world.

 

Cutting edge design, intricately machines case, perfect finish,very reliable, state of the art construction... Where have we heard all these jargons! No offense to RM is owners but just about every other watch co says the same about its models and above certain price point all are true.

To buy it or not is an individual's choice and others should not be concerned in any way.

 

I don't hate RM because of the price, I don't care for the way they look, plain and simple. I respect the brand and, as you mentioned, the quality, uniqueness, the complications and the case work can't be challenged. I believe some individuals will pay more for something, just because they can and others can not, is it an ego thing, probably, maybe, I can't say for sure. There is a law of diminishing returns, and at some point you are buying for exclusivity and bragging rights.

Good article about the Richard Mille hype... worth a glance or read:
Link: https://www.chrono24.com/magazine/richard-mille-why-all-the-hype-p_60713/#gref

A few quotes:
"Nearly everyone I know has an opinion about this brand: I often hear people refer to Richard Mille as (too) loud, (too) colorful, and (too) expensive in one breath, and then as innovative, desirable, and successful in the next."

T"he clever thing about Richard Mille is that their watches are actually worn in competition, thus underscoring their durability. The short-term effect is evident in the case of football star Odell Beckham Jr., for example, who wore a $300,000 RM 11-03 during an NFL game in September."

"Richard Mille uses high price tags so that their customers belong to an even smaller, more elite group within the luxury watch segment – extreme luxury, “the billionaire’s secret handshake,” if you will."

"So, is Richard Mille’s clever sponsoring and media buzz really enough to beat all the “old” brands when it comes to the cold, hard numbers? Probably not. But, in order to set themselves apart, those who can afford a Richard Mille also want the world how much their watch is worth."

"In case the wearer would like to justify wearing the equivalent of a nice family house with a pool on their wrist, Richard Mille offers all kinds of more convincing arguments than just, “I had the money.” These watches really have a lot to offer in terms of technology. "

"Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to like the watches and their price tags. The upside to all the Richard Mille hype is that particularly the younger generation may be getting interested in (mechanical) watches again."

 

Jaja thats what I thought now RM's and Rolexes have more of a fair share among rappers.

They are like wealth wrist marks.

 

Questions.
Do these show up well in a black light?
Would being color blind be a plus in trying to decipher these dials?
Do owners find themselves going to have their vision checked for astigmatism?

Seriously. Have there ever been tests to determine how long a glance it takes to accurately read the time using different dial, numeral, color and hand combinations?
I suspect the RM would rank very poorly.

 

I think it's no surprise that most comments on this thread amount to, "I appreciate the quality but I dislike the aesthetics". This is a forum ostensibly for Omega lovers. I don't think there can be many brands with more blue sky between them than Omega and Richard Mille as far as aesthetics is concerned. I would have thought that nearly everyone here appreciates excellent engineering design, which is why they appreciate RM watches, but I can't imagine many people whose taste tends toward the generally understated nature of Omega would find it easy to enjoy looking at an RM, certainly not those that I've seen pictures of.

 

Is it ok if I don't like them purely by their looks? I kinda think that might be the main reason for most. You like the way they look?...all the power to you and it's all good. However don't assume if many don't like them it's just due to cost.

 

Depends which model but I'm a fan of most of them

 

I do like the look of that RM-11, very cool, that 028 is a monster? That is solid gold? How many ounces are used to make the case.

 

Indifference...

 

The question should be... How many pounds are used to make the case?

 

Yeah I saved up a few ounces over the years as a hedge. Thought I was doing well, saw that case made me realize I definitely took a few wrong turns along the way, well actually probably a couple hundred wrong turns but who’s counting