Richard Mille 39-01 Automatic Winding Flyback Chronograph Aviation

Hey friends! It’s been a few weeks since you’ve seen me in your inbox. I’ve been busy moving from Denver, CO, back to my hometown, Springfield, IL. Saying it was a challenge to move across the country with a 6-month-old is an understatement, but we did it!

Today, I’ve got a really interesting piece to discuss: the Richard Mille 39-01 Automatic Winding Flyback Chronograph Aviation. A big name for an even bigger watch (another understatement 😆).

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the lightest Richard Mille in the catalog, and now I’ve got one of the biggest pieces. No joke, this watch would look big even if it was strapped to my ankle. The case measures 50x17mm. Despite looking like a skyscraper on my wrist, the grade 5 titanium keeps it shockingly light.

As an aviation enthusiast, I was extremely excited to get this watch in my hands. Billed as a watch that meets the requirements of a pilot, it’s nothing short of complex.

The RM 39-01 is so complicated that I have absolutely no idea how any pilot could actually use this while in the air. The skeletonized dial is so busy you might need a microscope to see anything. It includes a full E6-B flight computer within the watch bezel for navigational calculations. Originally introduced in the 1930s, pilots use this type of paper 'computer' for a range of pre-flight and in-flight calculations, including fuel burn, wind correction, speed, distance, time en route, and altitude adjustments, along with a variety of other useful conversions.

Now, all that functionality is jammed into the bezel and dial. With some practice, you could probably get quick at using this, but I have to admit it seems completely impractical. It also includes a myriad of additional functions designed for aviation: a flyback chronograph for timing operations, a countdown timer, a UTC indication for a second time zone, an oversized date, and an annual calendar.

But hey, if you’re this guy in the cockpit of a fighter jet, and you can figure out how in the hell to use this thing, I think it’s a pretty cool watch. However, if you’re not this guy and you’re wearing this watch… not so much 🤣. I’m obviously not that guy, and the RM 39-01 is way too big for my wrist, so it’s not really for me. Even though I’m a sucker for functional design, Richard Mille pushes that to the extreme with the 39-01. But what do you think? Does this watch have a place in your collection? Would you wear it?