Over the last fourteen years, the partnership between Richard Mille and tennis legend Rafael Nadal has spawned a series of uber-impressive RM 27-05 Tourbillon watches that have constantly pushed the boundaries of horology and material science. For 2024, the watchmaker has introduced what it calls the “climactic conclusion” to the RM 27 line. Behold the new Richard Mille RM 27-05 Flying Tourbillon Rafael Nadal, the final chapter in the RM 27 saga, which sets new standards for mechanical sports watches. Weighing in just 11.5 grams and able to withstand accelerations in excess of 14,000G, the new ultra-featherweight timepiece has set two new records for a manual-winding tourbillon wristwatch.
The latest RM 27-05 Flying Tourbillon Rafael Nadal timepiece features Richard Mille’s signature tonneau-shaped case that measures 37.25mm in diameter by 7.2mm in thickness. It is crafted out of Carbon TPT B.4, a brand new material for Richard Mille, which was initially used in Formula 1. Developed in partnership with composite specialist North Thin Ply Technology (NTPT), the material is made using hundreds of layers of parallel carbon filaments oriented at an angle of 70 degrees and a new high-performance resin. It offers a better strength-to-weight ratio than regular Carbon TPT, helping the watchmaker machine thinner but equally rigid components. Furthermore, the timepiece doesn’t feature Richard Mille’s standard architecture. Instead of a caseback, the case gets a monobloc design in which the middle case and caseback are machined from a single piece of Carbon TPT B.4.
The timepiece is powered by a version of the brand’s ultra-thin Caliber RMUP-01. The movement is directly mounted onto the monobloc case without the use of any screws. The mainplate and bridges are crafted from PVD-treated grade 5 titanium, while the V-shaped gear train bridge is machined from Carbon TPT. The flying tourbillion is located at 5 o’clock, and the mainspring barrel, which has a flying design, sits at the opposite end of the display. The manually-wound flying tourbillon movement offers a power reserve of 55 hours. The watch comes fitted with an elastic textile strap, which is not included in the official weight of the watch. The RM 27-05 Flying Tourbillon Rafael Nadal is limited to just 80 examples, each priced at $1.15 million.
