Whatever your thoughts are of Richard Mille and this Richard Mille Extra Flat RM016, you cannot deny the fact that his watches polarise opinions amongst the global horology community.

However what if you were given the opportunity to wear one for a few months, for an extended test drive shall we say? Well it just so happens I did in fact take that opportunity to experience this watch for myself. A collector and close friend of mine loaned me his RM-16 so I was able to wear it to this years Melbourne Grand Prix back in March and I still have it.

Now the Richard Mille Extra Flat RM016 isn’t your stereotypical tonneau shaped RM. Imagine two rectangular titanium plates sandwiched together to house a mostly skeletonised movement (also in titanium) into an extra flat profile coming in at 8.25mm and a total weight of only 64 grams. Sapphire crystals front and back allude to the lightness and show glimpses of the technical and purely functional use of the finishes and materials used within – from the transparent date disc to the ultra technical looking oscillating weight.

Introduced in 2007 this is not made for petite wrists as it definitely has presence when worn but completely flies under the radar, those in the know will know. Technically it’s uber cool and I love that it’s so far from traditional horology with their choice of materials and the design, but reading the time was difficult in certain lighting conditions and I found myself having to adjust it on my wrist often due to the strap not fitting me perfectly.

Would I buy a Richard Mille Extra Flat RM016 if I had the money? Probably not and definitely not at today’s retail prices however a RM67-01 is firmly on my wish list now.