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Rafael Nadal and the RM027-1
It is worth considering for a moment: the effect Richard has on his sports ambassadors. So I know that most of this is conjecture, but hear me out for a minute or two….
When Richard first announced that he had made a watch for Rafael Nadal, the promising tennis star from Spain became a permanent fixture on the winners podium at the Grand Slam tennis events. A series of injuries put Nadal either on slow motion or out of a tournament altogether. He has since been a shadow of his former self. And now the new RM027: the RM027-1. Lighter, fitter, stronger (probably), and more tech than ever: its back, Nadal is back! Has Richard worked his magic again!
Think of some of the other sports ambassadors that Richard has worked with: Felipe Massa went from driving with Sauber to Ferrari and came within a place in the last race of the season to winning the World Championship. Bubba Watson went from one of the journeymen of the US golf circuit, albeit with the biggest drive in the game, to winning the U.S. Masters! Yohan Blake signed with Richard and went onto record the second fastest 100 metres time in history. There is a pattern here!
As it is, the new RM027-1 is a brilliant piece of horology and microengineering. Richard has been working on the ideas behind the movement since the RM012. In the same way that the movement could be held or suspended between struts anchored on the case, Richard started to work with the idea that tensile cables (albeit small ones) could equally hold the movement in place against the case. The cables need to be tightened to the point where the movement is held rigidly in place, but not tightened to the point where the cable will snap. The cables are actually steel (at a diameter of 0.35 mm), even though the movement plates are made from aluminum lithium. The movement and watch can withstand a staggering 5000G impact and keep ticking! Even if Nadal cannot!
[No, not after being hit with 5000G, but definitely feeling the release of pressure on winning his 13th Grand Slam! Must feel like lifting 5000KG off his shoulders!]
[Up close with the steel tensile cables that support the movement: simply brilliant watchmaking and innovative microengineering]
[Nadal putting the RM027-1 through its paces in the final]
[Nadal with the prize: the watch guys, the watch! The trophy is nice too!]
[Being greeted by Queen Sophia of Spain after the victory. Given her husband is known Richard Mille collector: yes the King of Spain owns a RM009, she is probably asking about the watch!] All photos from Getty Images except for the watch. Photos of the watch from PuristsPro.com om.
It will be interesting to see what happens when Yohan Blake is back from injury!
Heart felt congrats to Nadal on his return to the top of tennis world with victory at the U.S. Open! Heart felt congratulations to Richard on another triumph of cutting edge watchmaking that leaves the others in his wake!
Andrew H
Oh, and for those who have not seen it, the CNBC spot where they discuss time is money with the RM027-1:
video.cnbc.com
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To leave comments, please go to Andrew's original post in Richard Mille forum, richardmille.watchprosite.com
