Richard Mille RM 27-05 Flying Tourbillon Rafael Nadal

Reading Time: 7 minutes

Flashback. In 2010, the RM 027 Tourbillon was born as the answer to a challenge. It proved the prelude to an exciting adventure, the quest for remarkable lightness and superlative performance. With the RM 27-05 Flying Tourbillon Rafael Nadal, this Richard Mille saga has reached a climactic conclusion.  The watch weighs 11,5 grams and can withstand a g-force of 14,000, for a two-fold record for a manual winding tourbillon watch.

The RM 27-05 project may have launched in 2019, but its story is rooted much earlier. This watch is the fruit of a meeting that has since grown into a true friendship. Since then, Rafa has seized one victory after another with Mille watches on his wrist. Iterations of striving to make each successive model light and comfortable forged a close relationship between the champion and Richard Mille. Sharing experiences strengthens friendship and broadens one’s horizons.

The RM 27-05 project may have launched in 2019, but its story is rooted much earlier. This watch is the fruit of a meeting that has since grown into a true friendship. “I still remember the day in 2008 when Richard contacted me to discuss working together. It was unthinkable for me, as I’d never worn anything on my wrist. It all came together in 2010, when he came to visit me in Mallorca. As a joke, he first presented me with a very heavy platinum watch. When I reacted as you might expect, he quickly held up a prototype of the RM 027: a surprisingly light watch with spectacular lines,” recalled Rafa Nadal.

Since then, Rafa has seized one victory after another with Mille watches on his wrist. Iterations of striving to make each successive model light and comfortable forged a close relationship between the champion and Richard Mille. Sharing experiences strengthens friendship and broadens one’s horizons.

Technical progress and reflections on aesthetics have here pushed Richard Mille‘s expertise to the limit. The RM 27-05 project was driven by an unwavering quest to eliminate weight and the result boasts an impressive technical data sheet. The movement, based on the ultra-thin RMUP-01 calibre, has a power reserve of 55 hours and incorporates a flying tourbillon that oscillates at a frequency of 3 Hz. Its PVD-treated titanium baseplate is optimally skeletonised and hand-finished, even the hidden parts. The bridges are also made of grade 5 titanium and Carbon TPT® to make them even lighter. The calibre measures 3.75 mm thick and weighs just 3.79 grams. Tremendous thought has gone into the smallest details to achieve this objective.

“Thanks to a base fitted with ball bearings, the tourbillon retains its performance while making it possible to do away with a bridge. Making the barrel fly likewise fit with our need for lightness. Its extreme thinness, 0,72 mm thick, helped us to develop an extra-flat calibre with volume. The barrel was thus pressed into service of this singular aesthetic, a masterpiece of traditional craftsmanship,” shared Salvador Arbona, Technical Director for Movements.

4,000 hours of work went into designing the calibre and case. We certainly didn’t stint on time when creating the RM 27-05 Flying Tourbillon Rafael Nadal. While its sobriety does mark a return to the collection’s roots, rethinking the watchmaking process has been a leitmotiv at every stage of its development. Here, there are no screws holding the movement to the case. The entire mechanism rests inside the monobloc back/caseband unit, which is then topped by the flange and bezel.

The whole assembly presses down on the calibre to hold it firmly in place. What gives this model a major advantage are the qualities of a new composite, Carbon TPT® B.4, developed over the course of five years with our Swiss partner North Thin Ply Technology (NTPT™). Carbon TPT® B.4 is an optimised anisotropic material that makes it possible to machine the case to ever thinner cross-sections. Compared with earlier Carbon TPT®, the new composite is 4% denser, the fibre 15% stiffer and the resin 30% stronger. These values make it possible to lighten the whole without losing stiffness.

For optimum strength, Carbon TPT® B.4 is woven in stacks using a specific 70° orientation between layers. Choosing this material guarantees the watch’s powerful architecture the best ratios, weight, performance and rigidity. It’s what makes it possible to follow the weave of the Carbon TPT® B.4, creating an X-shaped ridge on the caseback that the movement rests on. Comprehensive simulations of the whole, including the case, resulted the calibre being positioned 5/100ths of a mm from the caseback on 6 support points, which contribute to the watch’s stiffness. This X pattern is visually reflected throughout the case, while guaranteeing the bezel, flange and monobloc caseback retain their properties regardless of circumstances.

Finite element calculations, multiple simulations and analyses, tomography and numerous impact tests were used to confirm the relevance of each technical option over the course of the prototypes, endowing the RM 27-05 with extraordinary endurance at accelerations in excess of 14,000 g.

“All the research into materials contributed to this record resistance and lightness. Credit for this achievement is also due to our use of a crystal made of PMMA, a polymer with an anti-scratch treatment. Sapphire was too heavy for the challenge.” explained Julien Boillat, Technical Director of Casings.

Thanks to bold and exclusive innovations, every gram removed to complete the RM 27-05 Flying Tourbillon Rafael Nadal adds value to this unparalleled watch. The weight of time takes on a new dimension.

“What truly binds us is the human side – the strength of our friendship with Rafa. After all the time we’ve spent together, we’re looking forward to continuing our exchanges for many years to come. The RM 27-05 is a testament to both this long friendship and our shared enjoyment. And, looking to the future, the techniques used to develop the RM 27-05 will undoubtedly benefit all our future creations,” said Alexandre Mille, Commercial Director.

Richard Mille RM 27-05 Flying Tourbillon Rafael Nadal Technical Specifications

Limited edition of 80 pieces.
CALIBRE RM27-05: Manual winding flying tourbillon movement with hours and minutes..
Dimensions: 37,25 x 47,25 x 7,20 mm

POWER RESERVE
Around 55 hours (± 10%)

BASEPLATE AND BRIDGES IN GRADE 5 TITANIUM AND CARBON TPT®

The baseplate and bridges are crafted of microblasted and PVD-treated grade 5 titanium, a biocompatible, highly corrosion resistant and remarkably rigid alloy, which enables the gear train to function effortlessly. The alloy is 90% grade 5 titanium, 6% aluminium and 4% vanadium. This combination further increases the material’s mechanical properties, which explains its frequent use in the aerospace, aeronautics and automotive industries.

The V-shaped gear train bridge is machined from Carbon TPT®, a material consisting of multiple layers of parallel carbon filaments impregnated with resin then stacked with a 45° shift between layers. It is then heated to 120°C at a pressure of 6 bars before machining. Carbon TPT® is renowned for its excellent resistance to microcracks and splits.

Associating titanium and Carbon TPT® in the calibre confer great rigidity on the whole assembly, as well as the precise surface flatness essential for perfect functioning of the gear train.

This ultraflat and ultralight calibre, with a total weight of 3.79 grams, was subjected to separate and extensive validation tests to ensure it met rigorous optimal strength requirements. Engineered for the extraordinary, the RM 27-05 stands as a paragon of resistance, effortlessly withstanding shocks beyond 14,000 g’s, a testament to its unparalleled robustness.

FLYING TOURBILLON WITH VARIABLE-INERTIA BALANCE
The flying tourbillon sets itself apart for its unique single-sided mounting, doing away with the conventional upper bridge. This distinctive design not only grants an unimpeded view of its complex workings but also trims down overall weight.

The tourbillon’s free-sprung balance offers better reliability in the event of shocks or movement assembly and disassembly, while guaranteeing better chronometric results over an extended period of time. The regulator index is eliminated, and a more accurate and repeatable calibration is possible thanks to 4 small, adjustable weights located directly on the balance.

FAST-ROTATING FLYING BARREL (5.2 hours per revolution)
The fast-rotating flying barrel used in the RM 27-05 provides the following advantages:
-The phenomenon of periodic internal mainspring adhesion is significantly diminished, thereby increasing performance.
-Provision of an excellent mainspring delta curve with an ideal power reserve/performance and regularity ratio.

BARREL PAWL WITH PROGRESSIVE RECOIL
This device permits a profitable winding gain (around 20%), especially during the winding start. It is also helpful in the even distribution of the mainspring’s internal tension.

WINDING-BARREL TEETH AND THIRD-WHEEL PINION WITH CENTRAL INVOLUTE PROFILE
The central involute profile of the winding-barrel teeth and pinion provides an optimal pressure angle of 20°. This promotes effective rotary motion and compensates for possible variations in the engagement of the going train, thus ensuring excellent torque transmission with a distinct improvement in performance.

SPLINE SCREWS IN GRADE 5 TITANIUM FOR THE BRIDGES AND CASE
This permits better control of the torque applied to screws during assembly. These screws are therefore unaffected by physical manipulation during assembly or disassembly and age well.

MOVEMENT FEATURES

• Movement dimensions: 32.75 x 28.95 mm
• Thickness: 2.12 mm
• Tourbillon diameter: 10.30 mm
• Balance diameter: 9.00 mm
• Jewels: 22
• Balance: Glucydur®, with 2 arms and 4 setting weights, moment of inertia 11.50 mg•cm2, angle of lift 53°
• Frequency: 3 Hz (21,600 vph)
• Balance spring: Elinvar by Nivarox®
• Shock absorbers: KIF Elastor KE 160 B28
• Barrel shaft: nickel-free Chronifer® (DIN x 46 Cr 13 + S) with the following characteristics: stainless – antimagnetic – suitable for tempering

MONOBLOC CASE IN CARBON TPT® B.4
The RM 27-05 incorporates Carbon TPT® B.4, a new material at Richard Mille developed on the basis of Carbon TPT®. Initially used in Formula 1, its role in construction of the RM 27-05 is the culmination of five years’ R&D by our Swiss partner, the composite specialist North Thin Ply Technology (NTPT™).

The production of Carbon TPT® B.4 is the same production process as Carbon TPT®. Hundreds of layers or parallel carbon filaments no more than 50 microns across are impregnated with an all-new high-performance resin, then stacked using a machine unique to NTPT™ that modifies the fibres’ orientation by 70° between layers. This specific weave optimises the material’s strength-to-weight ratio when machined. The composite is then heated to 120° at a pressure of 6 bars for subsequent machining at Richard Mille.

Carbon TPT® B.4 is an optimised anisotropic material. Compared to Carbon TPT®, this new composite is 4% denser, its fibres are 15% stiffer, and the resin is 30% more resistant. These qualities make it possible to machine thinner pieces for the case and thus lighten the whole without loss of rigidity—as, for instance, on the monobloc caseback and baseband.

INTERIOR FLANGE
Upper flange in Carbon TPT® B.4 with hour-markers filled with an approved luminescent substance.

CRYSTAL
Lightweight PMMA polymer with scratch-resistant coating. The exceptional transparency of this composite makes the application of an anti-glare coating unnecessary.
Thickness: 1.20 mm; 0.30 mm at the edges

FINISHING

MOVEMENT

• Hand-polished bevelling
• Microblasted milled sections
• Hand-drawn or polished outer faces
• 5N gold coatings

STEEL PARTS

• Microblasted surfaces
• Satin-finished surfaces
• Hand-polished bevelling
• Hand-drawn surfaces

PROFILE-TURNING

• Lapped and polished ends
• Burnished pivots

WHEELS

• Circular finished faces
• Hand-polished bevelling
• Sunray finishing
• Rhodium-plating (before cutting the teeth)
• Minimal corrections applied to the wheels in order to preserve geometry and performance