Richard Mille RM 35-03 Automatic Watch
Rafael Nadal After a year off, Rafael Nadal recently announced his return to professional tennis, competing in the Australian Open in Brisbane. So it seemed only fitting that Richard Mille would give us fans an early Christmas gift by creating a new watch for
him. That is of course the new RM 35-03 Rafael Nadal automatic watch. So far, this reference has been produced in two different variants: quartz TPT and a combination of quartz TPT and carbon TPT. Now, it’s also available entirely in carbon TPT, with its natural, signature graphite color. Of course, “available” is in quotes, as this piece is expected to be available only to select Richard Mille clients.
The case is made entirely from Carbon TPT, Richard Mille’s own material that consists of multiple layers of parallel filaments that are separated by carbon fibers. These layers are microscopic, no more than 45 microns thick. They are woven, heated, and then machined on a CNC machine. The end result is a striped carbon that is 25% and 200% more resistant to stress fracture and microcracking, respectively, than any other technologically advanced form of carbon. The case is water-resistant to 50 m, equipped with 20 grade 5 titanium spline screws and protected by 316L stainless steel wear-resistant washers. The crown is made from a combination of grade 5 titanium and TPT carbon fiber. It would be an understatement to say that Richard Mille didn’t cut any corners in the materials department.
Dial and movement
The sapphire dial and case back reveal the RMAL2 movement at the heart of the 35-03 replica watch, which is located between four carbon fiber walls and displays hours, minutes and seconds. The base plate and bridges of the automatic movement are made from grade 5 titanium for increased strength and rigidity, and undergo numerous tests to ensure compliance with these standards. The movement also features a dual barrel system, with energy stored in two mainsprings instead of one. This reduces friction on components and stabilizes torque, improving long-term performance.
Above the crown is a function selector that allows the user to change the function of the crown between neutral, winding and manual settings. The chosen setting is conveniently displayed to the wearer via a small indicator hand at 2 o’clock.
Innovative butterfly rotor
Most impressively, however, the RM35-01 is equipped with a butterfly rotor, which has two settings depending on whether the wearer uses the watch for sport. Sport mode is activated by pressing the button located in the lower right corner of the housing. The butterfly rotor spreads its wings to 180°, disabling the winding function to prevent over-winding during movement – this is achieved by simply pressing a button in the lower right corner of the case. The start/stop of the oscillating weight is then indicated by a small indicator hand at 6 o’clock, completing this grand spectacle for the convenience of the wearer. richard mille rm 58-01
This innovative mechanism allows the wearer for the first time to modify the geometry of the oscillating weight without the need for a watchmaker. Salvador Arbona, technical director of movements at Richard Mille, explains: “Previously, any modification to the oscillating weight geometry had to be done by one of our authorized watchmakers. We wanted to perfect the system so that the wearer could directly influence the winding of the watch. Speed. It’s like the driver being able to adjust the transmission from city use to the track by activating Sport mode.”
The rotor itself is made from grade 5 titanium and uses ceramic ball bearings. The RMAL2 movement has a power reserve of 55 hours (plus or minus 10%).