Richard Mille presents the new RM 35-02 Rafael Nadal

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Richard Mille presents the new RM 35-02 Rafael Nadal

RM 35-02 Rafael Nadal
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“Nadal” a unique collection of Richard Mille
La Cote des Montres - May 19th, 2016

 
As is now customary in the run-up to Roland-Garros, the Jura-based company and the Spanish tennis champion have joined forces once again, this year to present the RM 35-02, the first piece to feature an automatic calibre in the collection they have been developing together for the past six years.

 
From their first meeting in 2008, Richard Mille and Rafael Nadal embarked on one of the most extraordinary shared adventures in contemporary fine watchmaking. As a result, the name “Nadal” now graces a unique collection of Richard Mille watches that are synonymous with innovation, lightness and shock-resistance. Each of the models they have designed together—from the first RM 027 with its carbon nanotubes case in 2010, to the cable-suspended movement of the RM 27-01, or the most recent iteration, the RM 27-02 with its NTPT Carbon ‘unibody’ baseplate—has embodied a major leap forward in terms of research and development, bearing witness to what could well be described as an entirely new, structural approach to watchmaking.

 
Like its predecessors, the RM 35-02 Rafael Nadal coalesces the fruits of a constant quest for innovation within a unique design. Powered by the new RMAL1 calibre, the base plate and bridges in wet-sandblasted grade 5 titanium, which has been PVD/Titalyt® treated and stretched to ensure supreme rigidity and impeccably smooth surfaces. Its variable inertia balance wheel oscillates at 28,800 vph, and is driven by a double-barrel system for greater torque stability.

 
Inspired by the RM 35-01, the RM 35-02 emerged in response to a request from many Richard Mille customers for a self-winding mechanism at the heart of a Nadal calibre. The decision to use the brand’s patented variable geometry rotor—a real emblem of Richard Mille’s automatic movements—was an obvious one that makes it possible to adjust the winding to suit the wearer’s activities. In another first for the Nadal collection, the caseback is protected by a sapphire crystal sporting an anti-reflective treatment so that the calibre may be admired from every angle.

 
The automatic RM 35-02 Rafael Nadal is available in either NTPT Carbon or a daring bright Quartz- TPT® Red with white highlights. Its silicon layers—each no thicker than 45 microns—are treated with a red resin that has been specially created for Richard Mille, then layered using an automatic system that changes the direction of the fibres in each layer by 45°. Heated under pressure at 120°C in an autoclave similar to those used for aeronautical components, the material is ready to be worked by ProArt, the manufacturer dedicated to the machining of Richard Mille components and cases.

 
The natural white quartz fibre, which is left undyed as per watchmaking custom, offers a very high resistance/weight ratio, non-allergenic properties and excellent UV resistance. But the true triumph of the engineers at Richard Mille and North Thin Ply Technology resides in the development of a red resin that draws a stark contrast with the natural white of the quartz and its transparent resin.

 
Designed for maximum biocompatibility, stability and resistance and compliant with REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) standards, the Quartz-TPT® Red adorning the RM 35-02 can withstand accelerations of up to 5,000 g’s.

Richard Mille Automatic RM 35-02 Rafael Nadal

Technical specifications

Calibre RMAL1 : Automatic winding skeletonised movement with hours, minutes, seconds.

Dimensions :49.94 x 44.50 x 13.15 mm.


Main features

 

Power reserve: Circa 55 hours (±10%).

Baseplate, bridges and balance cock made in grade 5 titanium
The manufacture of these components in grade 5 titanium with black PVD treatment allows the whole assembly to be given great rigidity, as well as precise surface flatness, essential for the perfect functioning of the gear train. The skeletonised baseplate and the bridges have been subjected to intensive and complete validation tests in order to optimise their stress resistance.

Rotor with variable geometry
  • Arm in grade 2 titanium
  • Flange in grade 5 titanium
  • 6-positional adjustment via grade 5 titanium screws
  • Ribs in 18k white gold, high palladium content
  • Weight segment in white gold
  • Ceramic ball bearings
  • Unidirectional, anti-clockwise winding direction
This exclusive RICHARD MILLE design allows the rewinding of the mainspring to be adapted most effectively to the user’s activity level within sports or leisure environments. By adjusting the six positional setting of the rib’s placement, the rotor’s inertia is modified, either speeding up the winding process in the case of minimal arm and hand movements, or slowing it down when intensive activity sports are pursued.

Free sprung balance with variable inertia
Guarantees greater reliability when subjected to shock and also during movement assembly and disassembly, hence better chronometric results over time.

The regulator index has been eliminated, thus guaranteeing a more accurate and repeatable adjustment is possible thanks to 4 small adjustable weights located directly on the balance.

Double barrel system
The double barrel system contributes to the torque stability over a longer period. This is achieved by dispersing the stored energy within two winding barrels, equalizing torque as well as reducing friction on the bearings and pivots resulting in improved long-term performance.

Spline screws in grade 5 titanium for the bridges
This permits better control of the torque applied to the screws during assembly. These screws are therefore unaffected by physical manipulation during assembly or disassembly and age well.

Other features
  • Mouvement dimensions: 30.25 x 28.45 mm
  • Thickness: 3.15 mm
  • Jewels: 32
  • Barrel arbor– in AP 20 steel
  • Balance: Glucydur, 2 arms and 4 setting screws, inertia moment 4.8 mg.cm², angle of lift 53°
  • Frequency: 28’800 vph (4 Hz)
  • Balance spring: elinvar
  • Shock protection: INCABLOC 908.22.211.100 (transparent)
  • Escapement wheel jewels: Rubifix (transparent)
  • Stem with two positions: manual winding and time setting
Case in NTPT Carbon or Quartz-TPT® Red
NTPT Carbon and Quartz-TPT® Red are exclusive material with a unique appearance. Their remarkable surface displays extremely regular undulations, as they are composed of multiple layers of parallel filaments obtained by dividing carbon fiber or silica threads. These layers, with a maximum thickness of 45 microns, are impregnated with resin then woven on a special machine that modifies the direction of the weft by 45° between layers (Quartz-TPT® layers are saturated in a red resin developed specially for Richard Mille).
Heated to 120°C at a pressure of 6 bars, these materials are then ready to be processed on a CNC machine in Richard Mille’s ProArt case factory.

The case of the RM 35-02 is water resistant to 50 meters, ensured by two Nitril O-ring seals. The case is assembled with 20 spline screws in grade 5 titanium and abrasion resistant washers in 316L stainless steel.

Crown
In NTPT Carbon with O ring seal in Alcryn.

Spline screws in grade 5 titanium for the case

This permits better control of the torque applied to the screws during assembly. These screws are therefore unaffected by physical manipulation during assembly or disassembly and age well.

Interior flanges
Upper flange in black carbon fiber, the hours index points filled with approved luminous material.

Crystal
  • Bezel side: in sapphire (1,800 Vickers) with anti-glare treatment (both sides)
  • Thickness: 1.50 mm

  • Back side: in sapphire (1,800 Vickers) with anti-glare treatment (both sides)
  • Thickness: 1.20 mm

Finishing

 

Movement
  • Baseplate wet sandblasted grade 5 titanium, PVD treated and hand-drawn after treatment
  • Bridges in hand-ground grade 5 titanium, wet sandblasted and Titalyt® treated
  • Locking sections hand polished
  • Burnished pivots
  • Pinions with undercuts
  • Sandblasted and rhodium-plating, beveled wheels (before cutting the teeth)
  • Minimum corrections applied to the wheels in order to preserve geometry and performance
Steel parts
  • Screw slot and screw beveled and polished with rounded and polished tip
  • Straight line grain finish of the upper surface
  • Lower surfaces microblasted
  • Hand-polished sinks
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