Back in May, Richard Mille celebrated the partnership with 24 year old Tennis Champion Rafael Nadel with the Launch of the Tourbillon Watch RM 027. Wimbledon begins tomorrow and Rafael Nadel will enter the court wearing the RM 027.In regard to his partnership Rafael said,
"It is an honor for me that someone like Richard has chosen me as one of his ambassadors. Since the moment we met there was a special feeling. I know that has worked very hard to create this special watch. I am honored and I am sure it will be a special and successful partnership."
Weighing in at just 20g (without the lightweight strap) the RM 027 is specially designed so as not to add any extra weight to Rafael's wrist. Thus the RM027 has achieved a remarkable feat of becoming one of the lightest watches ever produced.
The watch is equipped with a tourbillon, in invented in 1795 by French watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet, a century after Newton defined gravity. Breguet reasoned that as a result of the constant position of the vertical position of the pocket watch, the balance spring is confounded by the effect of gravity effecting the accuracy of the watch. This error could be compensated with a tourbillion whereby the escapement, balance wheel, and balance spring is placed in a rotating carriage which turns once per minute on its own axis. It seems not only does the tourbillon defy the effects of gravity, but the watch as well, by weighing a mere 20 grams.
Richard Mille reduced the weight with absolutely no reduction of efficiency and accuracy. Richard Mille worked in close collaboration with Rafael Nadel while developing the RM 027. During his training sessions, Rafael wore the RM027 testing its weight and accuracy and will now wear it to his tennis matches.
This watch is a break through design on may levels: First, I have always advised not to wear a luxury watch during high impact sports like tennis ,where the wrist makes abrupt extreme movements, as the movement may not be able to withstand the shock and thereby become damaged; however the RM027 is super shock absorbent and the movement not be damaged during the match.
Secondly, the watch is extremely lightweight even with the tourbillon complication.
A remarkable design, and what better man to wear the watch than Rafael Nadel, who has won the French open, his fifth title in six years at Roland Garros and who is overtaking long time Tennis great, 29 year old Roger Federer. Nadal has beaten Federer 14 of the 21 times they have met, including six of the last seven matches. Although Federer has a long list of tennis victories, it seems Nadel has just begun to warm up, and 2010 Wimbledon is the perfect arena to achieve greatness.
The RM027 is Richard Mille's victory, and the perfect companion to a competitor striving for the Wimbledon title.
