It has become the tradition of Roland Garros (Roland Garros) French Open. Every year, in the preliminaries of the French Open, Richard Mille launches a new customized timepiece for his ambassador «Rafa»: RM 35-02 Rafael Nadal.

Since their first meeting in 2008, Richard Mille and Rafael Nadal have embarked on one of the most unusual common adventures in contemporary high watchmaking.

Therefore, the name “Nadal” has now become a unique representative of the Richard Mille watch series, which is synonymous with innovation, lightness and shock resistance. Every model they designed together, from the first RM 027 and its carbon nanotube case in 2010, to the cable suspension movement of the RM 27-01, or the latest iteration, the RM 27-02 with NTPT Carbon , Unibody’s bottom plate has achieved a major leap in research and development, witnessing what can be described as a new structured watchmaking method.

Like its predecessor products, RM 35-02 Rafael Nadal (Rafael Nadal) condenses the results of continuous search for unique design innovation. Powered by the new RMAL1 movement, the wet sandblasted grade 5 titanium alloy bottom plate and bridge plate are PVD /Titalyt® treated and stretched to ensure the highest rigidity and impeccably smooth surface. Its variable inertia balance oscillates at a speed of 28,800 vph and is driven by a dual barrel system to improve torque stability. Inspired by the RM 35-01, the RM 35-02 appeared at the request of many Richard Mille customers, who required the heart of the Nadal movement to have an automatic winding device.

Obviously, the decision to use the brand’s patented variable geometry rotor as the true symbol of Richard Mille’s automatic movement is obvious, which makes it possible to adjust the clockwork according to the wearer’s activity. In another initiative of the Nadal series, the back cover is made of sapphire crystal glass for anti-reflection treatment, so that the caliber can be appreciated from all angles.

RM 35-02 Rafael Nadal self-winding machine gun can use NTPT carbon fiber or bold and bright Quartz-TPT®Red with white highlight display. The thickness of the silicon layer does not exceed 45 microns, and is treated with a red resin specially created for Richard Mille, and then layered using an automatic system that can change the direction of each layer of fiber by 45°. The material is heated at a pressure of 120°C in an autoclave similar to that used for aerospace parts. The material has been prepared for processing by ProArt, a manufacturer dedicated to Richard Mille parts and casings. Natural white quartz fiber does not need to be dyed according to watchmaking habits, has a high resistance/weight ratio, non-allergic properties and excellent UV resistance.

However, the real victory for Richard Mille and North Thin Ply Technology’s engineers is the development of red resin, which contrasts sharply with the natural white color of quartz and its transparent resin. Quartz-TPT®Red is decorated with RM 35-02, designed to achieve maximum biocompatibility, stability and resistance, and meets REACH (Chemical Registration, Evaluation and Authorization) standards, and can withstand accelerations of up to 5,000 g’s.