Style -- 12 hours ago
Words: Charlie Thomas
What do pro golfer Bubba Watson, Formula One driver Felipe Massa and tennis champion Rafael Nadal all have in common? They all wear a Richard Mille timepiece during competition. This is a testament to the kind of pull the Swiss brand have, and to the incredible lightweight technology that defines their watches.
The Richard Mille RM 27-02 is Nadal’s latest timepiece, and it’s one of the thinnest and lightest yet.
Richard Mille watches aren’t for everyone, yet everyone should appreciate the level of engineering going on here. The brand’s tagline is ‘a racing machine for the wrist’, so it’s only fitting that the RM 27-02 has been inspired by the chassis of high-tech racing cars. Having proudly created what has been dubbed the first ‘unibody’ skeletonised baseplate – named as such because the case band and baseplate have been moulded together – the watch now boasts increased rigidity and shock resistance, something their pieces have never lacked.
Made from NTPT carbon, a material Richard Mille has been researching for some time now, the ‘unibody’ is extremely light and strong, providing essential structural support to the suspended movement. Sitting atop the baseplate are the bridges, which are sculpted from grade 5 titanium and feature unique three-dimensional, curved designs.
Not ones to sit back and take it easy, Richard Mille has concocted an all-new case material too, named TPT quartz. Supreme in its strength, hundreds of quartz layers have been fused on top of each other, and this, combined with layers of interspersed NTPT carbon, makes the case virtually unbreakable. Such a process requires the layers to be heated to 120 degree celsius, in an autoclave process similar to those used by aeronautical companies. It’s pretty advanced stuff.
Limited to a run of just 50 watches, the RM 27-02 is a rare beast, and one that will feature on the wrist of Nadal during this summer’s tennis season.
For more information, click here.
