Limited to just 50 units, the Tourbillon RM 27-02 Rafael Nadal By Richard Mille is dedicated to the famed tennis champion and boasts the company’s first “unibody” skeletonised baseplate. Richard Mille’s experts managed to blend the baseplate and the caseband into a single piece thus eliminating the need to attach them together. The piece is inspired in its design by the chassis of racing cars, which means that it flaunts utmost sturdiness as well as impressive resistance to impact.
The case of the timepiece features black and white elements and was put together using an original material named TPT quartz. The bezel and case back were created using NTPT carbon and TPT quartz, and they were fixed onto the unibody baseplate with the help of 12 titanium-made spline screws. As for the dial, it is protected by a sapphire crystal that received an anti-glare treatment.
The baseplate provides support for a series of grade 5 titanium bridges, which boast beveled, shot-blasted and stain-brushed finishes. The bridges are made out of carbon and titanium and support the watch’s primary mechanisms, which are able to run for over 70 hours without a hitch thanks to a rapidly rotating barrel that ensures a constant stream of power.
