Description

The present watch is the RM27-05 Flying Tourbillon Rafael Nadal by Richard Mille, a high-performance and cutting-edge technology watch. Started in 2010, the infamous RM27 collection – in collaboration with Tennis great Rafael Nadal – has been known for breaking records.

Limited to only 80 pieces and as the final chapter to the epic RM27 saga, the RM27-05 weighs only 11.5 grams (excluding the strap) and can withstand a g-force of 14’000 – a double record for a manual winding mechanical tourbillon.

The 37.25 x 47.25mm monobloc case is made of Carbon TPT B.4. Developed on the grounds of the original Carbon TPT and the result of hundreds of hours in R&D, this upgraded version is denser, stiffer and more resistant. With it, the RM27-05 yet again reaches new heights in strength-to-weight ratio.

Visible through the skeletonized dial is the Calibre RM27-05, a manual winding tourbillon movement building upon the groundbreaking RM UP-01 Ferrari Ultraflat. At 3.75mm of thickness and weighing only an astonishing 3.79 grams, the movement is held by the bezel and flange against the caseback, bypassing the need for screws. With a single-sided mounting and the absence of a bridge for the flying tourbillon, it makes the complication much more visible with its weight also drastically reduced.

The baseplate and bridges are titanium based with PVD treatment and microblasting while the gear train bridge is crafted from Carbon TPT. Both materials are highly resistant and therefore perfectly suited for this extreme performance watch. As with all Richard Mille timepieces, the movement and parts are finished beautifully by hand to the highest standards with techniques such as hand-polished bevelling and microblasted surfaces.

Fitted with a black textile strap, this watch offers both extreme performance and great comfort, ensuring a secure grip with every wear as Rafael Nadal could most probably attest to. Closing the RM27 Rafa Nadal saga, this timepiece continues to build on the legacy of Richard Mille.

Richard Mille – Bio

Richard Mille (born 13 February 1951, in France) started work at Finhor, a local watchmaking company in 1974. The company was bought by Matra in 1981 and Richard Mille rose to manage Matra’s watchmaking business, which then included the brands Yema and Cupillard Rième. Matra’s watchmaking activities were sold to Seiko, who Mille left in 1992 to start a watchmaking business for jewellery firm Mauboussin. In 1999 he founded the company Richard Mille SA in collaboration with Audemars Piguet. Its first product, the RM001 went on sale in 2001