Renault's quest for success on the F1 grid received a massive boost in the arrival of Daniel Ricciardo for the 2019 season. But a new driver with race-winning credentials isn't the only thing that's looking good for the French outfit this year. It also has a collection of rad timepieces to complement its R.S.19 race car courtesy of team partner, Bell & Ross. 

Headlining Bell & Ross's range of timepieces exclusively designed to celebrate its partnership with the F1 team is the BR-X1 Tourbillon R.S.19 priced at a whopping RM808,000 apiece. 

Motorsports is never cheap to begin with, and Formula One is the zenith of the sport. Not only does the BR-X1 Tourbillon R.S.19 embody the engineering and craftsmanship of the car with which it shares a name: Bell & Ross will only produce 20 units worldwide. So if you think the Swiss watchmaker is going to struggle to move these timepieces at such a price, think again. 

A tourbillon itself is a work of art. In French, it stands for whirlwind. And it is one of the most complex and expensive architectures in 'Haute Horlogerie'. In the BR-X1 Tourbillon R.S.19, the hand-assembled tourbillon cage is at 6 o’clock. It features a smaller-than-average balance wheel that fine-tunes while rotating within its confined space in the 45-mm titanium case.

According to Bell & Ross, the BR-X1 Tourbillon R.S. 19 can "even-out the pull of gravity across the movement’s regulating parts, improving timekeeping and reducing friction at certain pinch points".

This technology is supposedly over 200 years old. You've learned something new today, didn't you? 

The tourbillon's low production output is partially due to the difficulty involved in making it. Naturally, Bell & Ross isn't just going to make enough watches for a full F1 grid to commemorate its partnership with Renault F1. The R.S.19 collection consists of three more automatic chronographs, namely the BR V3-94 R.S.19, BR 03-94 R.S.19 and BR-X1 R.S.19, which range from RM19,000 to RM91,000 in price.

Though substantially more attainable than the BR-X1 Tourbillon R.S.19, the trio are still bound by limited, albeit more generous, production figures and are available for viewing right here in Kuala Lumpur. You can find out more about them and even arrange an appointment at Bell & Ross Malaysia's official website.