EP 6: Mind-blowing Richard Mille & Rafa Collaborations Pt.2

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In the last post, we talked about the revolutionary collaboration between Richard Mille and Rafael Nadal, how it started, and how it shook the timekeeping industry with mind-blowing timepieces and innovations no one has ever witnessed in the realm of horology.

Continuing the last post, today we will check out some of the newer models which take everything a step further ensuring one admires this utterly beautiful and complicated world of a racing machine on your wrist.

RM 27-03, Rafael Nadal

The fourth-generation tourbillon series of Rafael Nadal, which was launched in 2017 at Roland Garros, exudes aggression and the vibrant presence of the Spanish matador strength. The colors alone are enough to identify it as a powerful and dynamic timepiece on your wrist.

What is the first thing that you notice on the watch apart from the vibrant color? The sharp, streamlined bridge holds the delicate tourbillon mechanism, beating at 3hz in place. Inspired by the charging head of the bull, the symbol of Spain, and Rafa Nadal’s brand, it is truly a beauty in a beast.

The colors are particularly chosen to represent Rafael Nadal’s home country, the powerful red and yellow Quartz TPT case is acquired by infusing silica layers just 45 microns thick. Developing the colors in Quartz TPT along with it being reliant and biocompatible defines the level of tech and dedication by Richard Mille and NTPT (North Thin Ply Technology).

The timepiece doesn’t stop at the bold looks and strong presence, the CALIBRE RM 27-03 manual winding tourbillon movement is built to withstand one too, developed for years the mechanism sits on a Carbon TPT unibody baseplate which makes it practically indestructible because the pendulum impact testing confirms that the watch is capable of withstanding 10,000 g’s! and if that’s not enough the watch provides a whopping 70 hours running time.

RM 27-04, Rafael Nadal

The Rafa Nadal and Richard Mille partnership has come a long way, and so has the partnership that soon turned into a solid friendship between the two, and its result has provided the watchmaking world with jaw-dropping, controversial, and impeccable timepieces. For their 10th anniversary, it was no surprise that RM and Rafael Nadal's line-up would push boundaries beyond expectations and grace us with something impossible.

The 10th-anniversary edition and the 5th iteration of the Rafael Nadal line RM 27 line present the RM 27-04 manual winding tourbillon is not just a watch, it’s the representation of the sheer inner force in both Richard Mille and Rafael Nada to push boundaries and redefine limits, it’s an inspiration and aspiration for those who are dedicated to achieving the unthinkable.

This manual winding tourbillon movement compromises materials straight for the aerospace and automobile industry, the baseplate and the bridges are made of grade 5 titanium (90% titanium, 6%aluminium, and 4% vanadium), which keeps the mechanism light and strong

Cable suspension

Remember the RM 27-01 had a unique idea to balance the entire mechanism around four cables and tensioners? Well the 27-04 takes that idea leaps further by using the same cable but this time the mesh cable is meticulously wrapped around the entire display

The steel cable, which is just 0.27mm in diameter, starts the mesh weave at 5 o'clock and is carefully interlaced over and under the main string of the woven cable with precise gaps. Tennis rackets were the backbone of the inspired design, and if you look closely, the movement is connected by only 5 titanium hooks to the string.

The case is made up of a different material compared to the past Rafael Nadal collabs, Titacarb an exclusive material made up of 38.5% carbon fiber which provides a high tensile strength of 3700 kg/cm2. As a result, the timepiece weighs 30 grams (including the strap) which is almost 10 grams heavier than the RM027 but it was designed last and the suspension design could take up to 12,000g’s !!

As special as the collaboration, RM 27-04 is an exceptional take on horology and vision, However opinions on it can vary from person to person but in a typical Richard Mille fashion the market value of the timepiece exceeds more than 2 million dollars!!

RM 35-03, Rafael Nadal

The RM 35 series is also known as the Baby Nadal, unlike the 27 series which concentrates on performance, weight, resilience, and strength with poetic tourbillon movements. The 35 series is more inclined toward technology and performance without any moderation or compromise.

The CALIBRE RMAL2 is the fourth edition of the series with a skeletonized automatic winding, butterfly rotor, sports mode, and function selector, like every other Rafael Nadal collaboration, limited to 50 pieces with a power reserve of around 55 hours.

Special features and Butterfly rotor

As there is a lot of hand movement while playing any particular game, RM 35-03 introduced their new patented butterfly rotor which when activated by a push button (Sports Mode) at 7 O’clock will deploy two weights 180 degrees to each other canceling any excess winding by keeping the center of gravity to the center.

A small indicator located just above 6 o’clock Indicates if the sports mode is on or off, if it indicates off the two butterfly-shaped weights which were at 180 degrees will join each other for regular use.

There’s another push button located at 2 O’clock (Selector) which helps the wearer choose between three modes W (Winding) N (Neutral), and H (hand setting which is used to set the time).

The beautiful vibrant case is in carbon and quarts TPT, and the screws that hold everything in place are of grade 5 titanium the same material goes for the Butterfly Rotor, baseplate, and bridges of the movement. The watch is water resistant to up to 50 meters.

RM 27-05 Rafael Nadal

The latest watch in the Rafael Nadal series is something that breaks every record set by them earlier, “it defies possibility and defines horology”, the newest member of the 27 series was spotted on Rafa’s wrist during the French Open 2024 and from that moment has become the center of attraction.

CALIBRE RM 27-05 manual winding tourbillon, unlike others, is limited to 80 pieces providing a runtime of around 55 hours  

The RM 27-05 flying tourbillon is the lightest tourbillon manufactured by the brand till now, weighing just 11.5 grams (excluding the strap), it doesn’t stop here the timepiece is capable of withstanding shock beyond 14,000 g’s a significant raise from 27-04 which could take 12,000 g’s

“All research into the material contributed to this record resistance and lightness, credit for this achievement is also due to our use of crystal made of PMMA, a polymer with anti-scratch treatment. Sapphire was too heavy for the challenge” - Julien Boillat, Technical Director of Casings, Richard Mille.

Richard Mille is infamous for taking inspiration from the aerospace and automobile industries and with this iteration, Richard Mille introduced a new material Carbon TPT B.4, initially used in Formula 1 this new material compared to Carbon TPT is 4% denser 15% stiffer, and 30% more stronger. It took the brand 5 years to develop the material alongside their long-standing partner (NTPT) North Thin Ply Technology

The baseplate is made of a biocompatible and corrosion-resistance alloy consisting of 90% grade 5 titanium, 6% aluminum, and 4% vanadium, whereas the v-shaped bridges are constructed in carbon TPT making the calibre weigh a minuscule 3.79 grams