A must have watch for the Magico owners

Elberoth

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Richard Mille RM50-03



Like the Magico speakers, it also uses graphene reinforced carbon fibre. So if you want a watch that will go well with Magico speaker - well, this is it. $1.000.000 in retail.

http://www.ablogtowatch.com/richard-mille-rm-50-03-mclaren-f1-watch/

BTW - there is a great explanation of this tech on McLaren (the F1 car manufacturer, who have developed the watch case for RM) site:

Can you simply explain nanoplatelet reinforcement?

“Yes, graphene is infused or mixed into resin systems, and those resin systems, for the application of creating carbon-fibre composites, are then combined and cured with layers of carbon-fibre. A graphene nanoplatelet is a small flat shape – very small, microscopically small, in fact. When you put those platelets into a resin system and mix it with your normal carbon-fibre layers, you greatly increase the inter-laminar bond strength, amongst other mechanical properties. Previously, when you relied on regular resins to hold the carbon-fibre layers together, there’s the possibility that those plies could shear apart – a common and well-known Achilles’ heel of composites. By introducing other structures within the resin, you can increase the shear toughness.”

How much of a step forward is graphene technology?


“We think the properties of graphene are pretty mind-blowing. Some of the mechanical properties of graphene-enhanced composites can be improved by double-digit percentages compared to regular carbon-fibre composites. In engineering, we often talk about improvements in terms of fractions of a per cent; to suddenly introduce improvements of this order is incredible, but it gives you a very clear perspective on just how much we’re discovering about the properties of graphene, and just how much it’s re-defining our existing understanding of materials science."
 
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GaryProtein

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I don't care how fancy the watch is, the time is next to impossible to read.

It's a good thing it is carbon fiber composite because with its sharp corners and thickness off the wrist, it would constantly be catching my long sleeved shirt cuffs and/or I would be banging it against the wall swinging my arms as I walked down the halls at work.

It is truly an item for pride of ownership, NOT practical use in the every day world.
 

853guy

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I don't care how fancy the watch is, the time is next to impossible to read.

It's a good thing it is carbon fiber composite because with its sharp corners and thickness off the wrist, I would be banging it against the wall swinging my arms as I walked down the halls at work.

It is truly an item for pride of ownership, NOT practical use in the every day world.

That's why you have your personal assistant always carry their cellphone, Gary.

853guy
 

853guy

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Which color strap are you getting Adam?

david

Obviously, Richard Mille connoisseurs are very budget conscious. So thankfully, you get both straps included in the box.

And to demonstrate how much value-for-money you get, they include a 1:5 scale model of Alonso and Vandoorne's 2017 McLaren-Honda MCL32, which based on their performance so far this year, is likely to be faster than the full size version.

853guy
 

Mike Lavigne

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Obviously, Richard Mille connoisseurs are very budget conscious. So thankfully, you get both straps included in the box.

And to demonstrate how much value-for-money you get, they include a 1:5 scale model of Alonso and Vandoorne's 2017 McLaren-Honda MCL32, which based on their performance so far this year, is likely to be faster than the full size version.

853guy

yes, at the Honda dealer meeting I was just at last Friday in Vegas, during the time for questions I asked when they will find more HP for the F1 effort? they had no comment other than they are trying. sad to see such meager results.
 

853guy

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yes, at the Honda dealer meeting I was just at in Vegas, during the time for questions I asked when they will find more HP for the F1 effort? they had no comment other than they are trying. sad to see such meager results.

Hey Mike,

I agree - it's a shame really. And I certainly don't envy anyone at either McLaren nor Honda right now. It's a tough place to be in. I did see that Honda F1 just placed an ad in Autosport Magazine for roles of Mechanical Design Team Leader, Senior Composite Design Engineer, Design Engineers to support the ESS team, a Quality/Reliability Engineer, Energy Recovery System Engineers, R&D Test Engineer/Senior Technician and System Technician. I wonder if there'll be more senior shakeups before the season's over.

For me, it's just disappointing that Alonso isn't in the mix. Great driver, characterful personality, and someone I believe could take the fight to Ferrari/Mercedes this year if he had a competitive car.

Like I say, it's a shame.

853guy
 

Elberoth

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The Honda engine is a flop. No doubt about this. They should move the design and manufacturing team to the UK to be closer to McLaren factory. If they have a chance, as chances are McLaren will drop the Honda engine eventually.

BTW - there are other hi-tech companies embracing graphene tech.

International wheel producer Vittoria released a new range of bicycle wheels that are built from graphene-enhanced composite materials. The wheels, called Quarno (Graphene Plus inside) are now available in three different editions (46, 60 and 84 mm) and contain graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) provided by Directa Plus.



The company explains that the graphene grants the wheels advantages like heat dissipation (15-30°C lower) – a crucial factor in the slopes, an increase in lateral stiffness (more than 50%) and puncture reduction, especially around the valve area. A couple of wheels weigh 1,250 grams together and the price ranges from €1,450 to €1,850.

Several world-famous cycling competitors will be testing the new wheels in the near future, and hopefully prove that the biggest advantage of these new wheels is the massive increase in speed and, subsequently, a reduction in race times.


http://www.graphene-info.com/vittoria-launches-graphene-based-cycling-wheels
 

853guy

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Aug 14, 2013
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The Honda engine is a flop. No doubt about this. They should move the design and manufacturing team to the UK to be closer to McLaren factory. If they have a chance, as chances are McLaren will drop the Honda engine eventually.

BTW - there are other hi-tech companies embracing graphene tech.

International wheel producer Vittoria released a new range of bicycle wheels that are built from graphene-enhanced composite materials. The wheels, called Quarno (Graphene Plus inside) are now available in three different editions (46, 60 and 84 mm) and contain graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) provided by Directa Plus.



The company explains that the graphene grants the wheels advantages like heat dissipation (15-30°C lower) – a crucial factor in the slopes, an increase in lateral stiffness (more than 50%) and puncture reduction, especially around the valve area. A couple of wheels weigh 1,250 grams together and the price ranges from €1,450 to €1,850.

Several world-famous cycling competitors will be testing the new wheels in the near future, and hopefully prove that the biggest advantage of these new wheels is the massive increase in speed and, subsequently, a reduction in race times.


http://www.graphene-info.com/vittoria-launches-graphene-based-cycling-wheels

Hi Elberoth,

Yeah, it's been reported McLaren have been pursuing all available options. Of course, they're not without consequences, as this James Allen article makes clear: https://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2017...sis-what-would-you-do-next-in-mclarens-shoes/

Also, it's curious that Vittoria think speed and reduction in race times will be the likely outcome. While it's true lower temps for descending will be helpful, there's only a handful of races in the pro calendar in which that would prove advantageous. A 2001 study found that aerodynamics are the singular most important factor for road wheels, with wheel mass very far behind. Wheel inertia was so small it proved to be insignificant in all cases - i.e. you spend the majority of your time shoving air out your way rather than constantly accelerating/decelerating, hence why deep-section rims dominate the peloton now relative to ten years ago.

Rim width on the other hand can definitely contribute to overall aerodynamic performance because the tyre's more spread out over the rim matching the rim profile, as well as leading to a stiffer rim overall. This would definitely be advantageous for TT stages.

Though I guess at the pro level any advantage is an advantage.

853guy
 
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BMCG

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MadFloyd

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I don't see what these rather unattractive watches have to do with Magico, besides the inclusion of Graphene. Aesthetically, they look much more like the latest SOTA effort from Wilson Audio.

I didn't realize you found the latest SOTA efforts from Wilson unattractive.
 

GaryProtein

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FrantzM

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I don't see what these rather unattractive watches have to do with Magico, besides the inclusion of Graphene. Aesthetically, they look much more like the latest SOTA effort from Wilson Audio.

I am almost with you Peter...
Don't care much about the Wilson designs but don't find them ugly as for these watches ,,,,
I sincerely find these watches ugly ... Nothing to do with the austerity of most Magico design...
 

Elberoth

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I don't see what these rather unattractive watches have to do with Magico, besides the inclusion of Graphene. Aesthetically, they look much more like the latest SOTA effort from Wilson Audio.

Well, the topic was obviously a tongue in check.

I thought Magico owners may find it interesting - afterall, how many other objects, made from graphene reinforced CF, are you able to name ? I certainly wasn't able to name any, before I stumbled upon this design. Magico is obviously in a very elite group of high tech companies.

As for the watch ... let's just say that beeing also a watch guy, I wouldn't buy anything with Hublot or RM written on it :)
 

PeterA

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I didn't realize you found the latest SOTA efforts from Wilson unattractive.

Ian, I miswrote, and I see how you reached that conclusion. Let me clarify: I think the watches are ugly and they don't remind me at all of the refined, smooth look of Magico speakers where there is no hint of the mechanicals inside or the bracing, or even the driver fasteners. They are more like an incredible machine with a beautiful body on the outside. Think Ferrari or Porsche. In the sense that the watches' mechanicals are exposed, they do remind me of the Wilson Wamm speaker, which ironically, I actually like the look of. I guess I like the machine look of the Wilsons, but I find the watches really ugly. And the time is very hard to read.
 

PeterA

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Well, the topic was obviously a tongue in check.

I thought Magico owners may find it interesting - afterall, how many other objects, made from graphene reinforced CF, are you able to name ? I certainly wasn't able to name any, before I stumbled upon this design. Magico is obviously in a very elite group of high tech companies.

As for the watch ... let's just say that beeing also a watch guy, I wouldn't buy anything with Hublot or RM written on it :)

I recently took my daughter on a college tour. During our last visit of an engineering school, our guide explained that two of the researchers who helped discover Graphene worked in the very building we were standing in. I thought that was pretty cool. Of course I immediately thought of Magico drivers. I mentioned the company to the guide and he told us that one big obstacle is that Graphene is very difficult to manufacture in bulk or quantity. And it is very expensive. My daughter is used to being bored by my audio stories, but she thought this was actually pretty interesting.

One of Magico's consistent design and marketing themes has been that they are engineering driven and push the technology envelope. Their use of Graphene is just one example.
 

853guy

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I recently took my daughter on a college tour. During our last visit of an engineering school, our guide explained that two of the researchers who helped discover Graphene worked in the very building we were standing in. I thought that was pretty cool. Of course I immediately thought of Magico drivers. I mentioned the company to the guide and he told us that one big obstacle is that Graphene is very difficult to manufacture in bulk or quantity. And it is very expensive. My daughter is used to being bored by my audio stories, but she thought this was actually pretty interesting.

One of Magico's consistent design and marketing themes has been that they are engineering driven and push the technology envelope. Their use of Graphene is just one example.

Hi Peter,

That's essentially the modus operandi of Richard Mille. They have done some really interesting things in terms of manufacture and material usage in their cases, including magnesium, solid sapphire, carbon laminates/composites, lithium alloy, carbon/quartz filament laminate, as well as innovate ways to secure the tourbillon with a cable tension system in the Nadal watch within the case itself. All the cases are designed and manufactured "in-house" at Richard Mille's ProArt proprietary facility in Les Breuleux.

However, in terms of movements, all of them come from other vendors - the more complicated ones are designed and built by Audemars Piguet Renaud et Papi, while the lesser ones are outsourced to Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier (used in Hermès and Parmigiani watches). So there's much less innovation there.

In a similar manner, Magico continue to manufacture speakers that use uncommon materials for building speakers, but are relatively conventional in terms of being dynamic driver speakers with Mundorf-sourced parts for the crossovers and tweeters* made to their specs by... well, it's a secret, right? That's not a knock on Magico - or Richard Mille for that matter - it's just they way they've chosen to make a luxury good able to be produced in a way that maximises profit relative to the high level of technical manufacturing employed in their cases and cabinets/drivers.

But like you say, knowing all that doesn't necessarily make it a Richard Mille more desirable in-and-of-itself, in the same way knowing all that about Magico doesn't necessarily mean it will be the speaker of choice for those who love listening to music, even if the price-of-admission isn't a deterrent to ownership.

Be well.

853guy

*Is that true of the M Pro and M3? I don't know.
 

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