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By Cait BazemoreCait Bazemore's Most Recent Stories
Richard Mille
Rafael Nadal really needs no introduction. He’s arguably one of the best tennis players of all time, notching 22 Grand Slam men’s singles titles, including a record 14 French Open titles. Thanks to 81 consecutive wins on clay (the longest single-surface win streak in the Open Era), he’s more than earned his unofficial title as the King of Clay. His first major title came in 2005, and for more than 15 years, he never slowed down, clenching yet another French Open win in 2022. However, the tides turned for the star player last year when injury knocked him out of the second round of the Australian Open at the start of the 2023 season. As a result, he exited the Top 10 for the first time since 2005 and later declined to enter the French Open. After a year of recovery, the beloved Spanish player announced his triumphant return to the ATP tour at the end of 2023. However, after withdrawing from the season’s first major, the AustralianOpen, and losing in the first round at the French Open toAlexander Zverev, it looks like it may be Nadal’s final season before retirement.
Watches and tennis have long gone hand in hand ever since Rolex became the official timekeeper of Wimbledon back in 1978. Since then, countless players have landed partnerships with watchmakers or served as brand ambassadors. If you look closely, you’ll often notice one of the first things that players do upon exiting the court is strap on their favorite timepiece. But Nadal is one of the few pros who actually wears his watch during the match. Most timekeepers aren’t fit to withstand the force of a tennis swing, but Nadal teamed up with one of the few brands able to deliver a truly performance-driven timepiece that’s up for the challenge, Richard Mille. The duo has been developing watches together since 2010, resulting in 11 exceptional models including their latest collaboration, the RM 27-05 Flying Tourbillon, which just dropped over Memorial Day weekend. Here, we take a deeper look at the evolution of Nadal and Richard Mille’s partnership and the wild watches they’ve created.
RM 27-05 Flying Tourbillon
This one is big: it may be the King of Clay’s final season and perhaps the final watch the tennis champ will co-design with Richard Mille. This is the RM 27-05 Flying Tourbillon. When the RM 027 Tourbillon first debuted in 2010, it marked Richard Mille’s quest for remarkable lightness and superlative performance. The original model weighed a mere 18 grams—a major feat at the time—and could withstand forces up to 800G. Now, with the latestRM 27-05 Flying Tourbillon, the brand has reduced the weight to an effortless 11.5 grams and given it the ability to withstand a g-force of 14,000, as a result of 4,000 hours of work to design the caliber and case. This marks a two-fold record for a manual winding tourbillon watch.
Richard Mille RM 027
Richard Mille created its debut model for Nadal in 2010 with the RM 027. This tourbillon thoughtfully optimizes both form and function for the court. It features a carbon composite case and flexible polycarbonate strap, keeping it ultra-lightweight. However, the real genius comes in the design of the movement, which is made of titanium and a unique alloy called LITAL. The combination of materials from the inside out results in a timepiece weighing less than 20 grams, including the strap, making it the lightest watch ever produced at the time.
Richard Mille RM 035
A year later, the duo switched things up with the launch of the RM 035. While the model lacks the tourbillon functionality, it’s anything but a simple timepiece. The initial RM 035 features a skeletonized dial with a similar lightweight build, this time thanks to a magnesium and aluminum alloy. In addition, it marked the first Richard Mille Chronofiable-certified timepiece, representing a new milestone in the quest for long-lasting performance under extreme conditions.
Richard Mille RM 27-01
We wouldn’t see the next collaboration for another two years. In 2013, the pair unveiled the second generation of the RM 027, and somehow, they managed to make it even lighter than the original, now weighing just 18.83 grams. In addition, the RM 27-01 features a new system that can withstand up to 5000 Gs of force.
Richard Mille RM 35-01
In 2014, Nadal and Richard Mille released the second generation of the RM 035. This model features more subtle updates from the original, with a more ornate case and dial design. Here you’ll note pops of Rafa’s signature colors, red and yellow, as an homage to the Spanish flag. In addition, the RM 35-01 gets an upgraded movement, replacing the original caliber RMUL1 with the RMUL3. The RMUL3 offers a slightly more lightweight build (a mere 4 grams down from 4.3 grams) and a power reserve of 55-hours provided by a double-barrel system.
Richard Mille RM 27-02
The following year, we got the next generation of the model that started it all. With the RM 27-02, the pair continued upping the ante on bolder styling with a red-clay colored strap. However, the major headline for the RM 27-02 was the introduction of the very first skeletonized baseplate known as the “unibody.” The idea is that the case and baseplate are fused into a single piece, resulting in greater impact resistance on the court.
Richard Mille RM 35-02
In 2016, Nadal and Richard Mille went back to developing the RM 035 line with the next evolution: the RM 35-02. The model comes in two variations, one in more classic black and one in bright red. The red iteration marked a major departure to the lineup, not only in its color scheme but also in its functionality. For the first time, we see an automatic caliber powering the model.
Richard Mille RM 27-03
A year later, the pair announced not one, not two, but three new additions within their partnership. The first was the fourth generation of the RM 027. With the RM 27-03, we see the loudest model yet in terms of styling with an attention-commanding yellow and red case and strap. The boldness of the model continues through its technical achievements thanks to a totally new tourbillon movement that can withstand shocks of up to 10,000 Gs, which marked an industry first.
Richard Mille RM 035 Toro Americas Editions
In addition to the RM 27-03, 2017 ushered in two models exclusively for the American market, perhaps in response to Nadal notching his third U.S. Open title that year. The RM 035 Black Toro and RM 035 Gold Toro both nod to another one of the player’s nicknames, “The Bull.” Stylistically, the Black Toro pays homage to the design of the original RM 035 with the upgrade of the new automatic caliber RMAL1 found in the RM 35-02. As the name suggests, the Gold Toro offers a new aesthetic to the lineup with an 18-karat rose gold case.
Richard Mille RM 27-04
The introduction of the RM 27-04 in 2020 marked the 10-year anniversary of Nadal’s partnership with Richard Mille. For the occasion, the duo debuted a brand new case material called TitaCarb, a carbon fiber reinforced polyamide with the strength of steel while remaining far more lightweight. The resulting design was totally unique with a dial featuring metal mesh “strings” reminiscent of those of a tennis racket. The RM 27-04 also boasts upgraded functionality with a new caliber able to absorb 12,000 Gs in shock.
Richard Mille RM 35-03
In December 2023, on the heels of Rafa’s announcement to return to the game, Richard Mille unveiled its next model for the King of Clay’s comeback: the RM 35-03. The all-new timepiece is available in three versions: one in blue Quartz TPT with a white Quartz TPT caseband, one in white Quartz TPT and Carbon TPT with a Carbon TPT caseband, and one in full Carbon TPT. Of course, the RM 35-03 also showcases new technical achievements with a butterfly rotor that allows the wearer to directly interact with the rotor’s geometry, controlling the movement’s winding speed based on lifestyle and activity levels.
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- Watch Collector
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