Watch of the Week: Richard Mille RM 35-02 Rafael Nadal

When you work with some of the world’s most accomplished athletes, you can count on it that they will take your watches through their paces. For Richard Mille, this is exactly how he likes it, as it challenges him time after time to take things to the next level. Rafael Nadal, who won 19 Grand Slam Singles titles, wears his Richard Mille also on the court. This means that the RM 35-02 not only needs to be very light but also very strong.

Richard Mille achieved this by making the case out of Carbon TPT® and Quartz TPT®. These materials combine an extraordinary strength with exceptional lightness. Each of the layers only has a maximum thickness of 45 microns and is then impregnated with resin. Every layer is placed at a 45° angle in relation to the one below, to extend the strength of the end-material further. When they are all stacked, they are pressurized to 6 bar and heated to 120°C. The block that comes out is then placed in a CNC machine, which mills it into the right shape of the case. While these materials have various advantages, they also look outstanding with an almost damascene pattern, that is unqiue with each watch.

The automatic movement inside the RM 35-02 is also a visual treat, as well as technically very advanced. The bridges and baseplate are skeletonized and made from grade 5 titanium. This means that they are very rigid and can endure accelerations up to 5,000 g’s. Of course, is also this movement fitted with Richard Mille’s signature and patented variable-geometry rotor. Thanks to weight segments, which can be placed in six positions, the winding effectivity matches that of the user’s activity level. The movement, which sports a rather technical finish, can be admired from both the front as well as the back, as both are fitted with a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating. Not that Nadal will have much time to look at it when he is in the middle of a game, but for Richard Mille’s other clients, it is surely a treat.