Limited to 50 pieces, this Richard Mille RM27-03 pays tribute to renowned Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal and his country of origin with its orange and yellow striping, reminiscent of the Spanish flag. Taking technology one step further, the tourbillon movement can withstand a shock of up to 10,000Gs, demonstrating the innovative and experimental nature of the brand.

Named in honour of Rafael Nadal, a champion tennis player and long-time Richard Mille ambassador, the Richard Mille RM27-03 is limited to just 50 models. The bright yellow and orange case is intended to invoke the Spanish flag colours, which is the country Nadal represents. The RM27-03 was the fourth model in the RM 027 series and the seventh watch made with the tennis star in mind, back in 2017.

The watch houses a tourbillon calibre that is able to withstand shocks of up to 10,000Gs, making it incredibly robust. The brand tested the watch for this using a pendulum impact tester. This was done so in the real world, ensuring the watch could withstand the kind of acceleration and impact on Nadal’s wrists during a typical game of tennis on a clay court. Following in the footsteps of its ground-breaking predecessors, the RM27-03 proves that the tourbillon complication can be brought to even greater heights.

The construction of the watch takes inspiration from the “unibody” style of manufacturing cars, where the frame and the body of the car are manufactured as a single piece, from Carbon TPT. With this RM27-03, the central portion of the case, in addition to the skeletonised bridges of the movement. Meanwhile, the tonneau-shaped case of this RM27-02 makes it instantly recognisable as a Richard Mille design, and is created from lightweight TPT, a material built up by piling on hundreds of layers of microscopically thin carbon tissue. The material is then treated to heat in an autoclave. It is a technology that Richard Mille pioneered in watchmaking, partly because it lends itself well to enforcing specific parts of a watch that might be subject to intense pressure or stress.

The innovative case is further complemented by a very visually rich dial, with orange and yellow accents that contrast against the monochromatic movement. The layered effect of the various skeletonised parts and movement components are reminiscent of the engine bay of Formula One cars, which served as inspiration for the brand’s pieces.

The calibre RM-27-03 is a hand-wound movement, featuring a tourbillon and skeletonised unibody baseplate made from Carbon TPT. The curves of the skeletonised bridges, encircling the tourbillon, also evoke the forward-facing head of a bull – a symbol of Spain. In a playfulness characteristic of the brand, the winding crown is designed to resemble a tennis ball.

Closer look

This Richard Mille RM27-03 is in like new condition, showing virtually no signs of wear.

The watch comes with a two-year warranty from A Collected Man, alongside a lifetime guarantee of authenticity.