The world’s lightest mechanical watch

Graphene has long been promised as a super material of the future. Scientists are confident that its outstanding strength and electrical conduction properties will make it a game-changer in energy production. Currently its potential applications are still being decided upon but it has recently found a use in an all-new wristwatch. A joint operation between the University of Manchester, Richard Mille and McLaren F1, it has been engineered to be the lightest mechanical chronograph in the world. Called the RM 50-03, the watch is strong yet extremely lightweight and the properties of the super material were assessed using x-ray computed tomography. This innovative production could be the first of many for graphene and plans are already in place for the remarkable composite to be used in tablets and smartphones as well as energy storage in the automotive and aerospace industries. Watch this space. The graphene revolution could be just beginning.

The lightest watch in the world

The watch weighs just 40 grams and also contains titanium and carbon. Even the strap was injected with graphene to help improve its water resistance

The lightest watch in the world

The internal mechanics look incredibly intricate

Back in issue 58 we detailed graphene for the first time. Take a closer look at the super material below:

The lightest watch in the world

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