Richard Mille RM 27-05 Flying Tourbillon Rafael Nadal

Richard Mille and Rafael “Rafa” Nadal celebrated the 14th anniversary of their partnership with a new release: RM 27-05 Flying Tourbillon. The RM 27 series is a huge milestone in Richard Mille’s legacy. The original RM 027 model was released in 2010 for the wrist of tennis phenomenon Rafa Nadal, bringing the brand into the field of the ultra sports league. Since then, the series has continued to evolve in terms of lightness and durability.

The debut RM 027 weighed less than 20 grams. Two years later, the RM 27-01 and its fully suspended mechanism weighed 18.83 grams. In 2015, a new hull architecture was introduced for the RM 27-02, which was moved to the RM 27-03 2017, which were decorated with the colors of the Spanish flag and are capable of withstanding 10,000 g impacts. Then, in 2020, the world saw the tennis-inspired design of the RM 27-04 mechanism, which could withstand incredible impacts of 12,000 g.

The new RM 27-05, released in a limited edition of 80 copies, has a monoblock case made of Carbon TPT® B.4, a new material from Richard Mille. Originally used in Formula 1, this composite optimizes the strength-to-weight ratio of the material during processing. Compared to standard Carbon TPT, this new composite is 4% denser, its fibers are 15% stiffer, and the resin is 30% stronger. These qualities make it possible to process finer body parts and thus make the design easier without sacrificing rigidity.

Now the RM 27-05 holds the brand’s record for lightness, weighing 11.5 grams (without a strap). With a very thin 7.2 mm body, it is also equipped with an ultra-flat mechanism. Thanks to the innovations, the RM UP-01 Ultraflat Ferrari Calibre does not have screws holding the mechanism and body together. The entire mechanism is located inside a monoblock back cover topped with a flange, bezel and glass. They put pressure on the Caliber to hold it securely in place. Every milligram or millimeter was removed from the skeletonized mechanism and the walls of the case. It is as much as 0.6 mm thinner than the RM 67-02 extra flat, but the caliber, unlike the automatic 67-02, is manually wound.

The RM 27-05 movement contains a one-sided (floating) tourbillon, a technology that we have already seen in watches like the RM66. Thanks to the base equipped with ball bearings, the tourbillon can continue to perform its function without a traditional bridge. Removing the bridges obviously reduces the weight, but how will the watch, which will be subjected to such strong impacts, withstand it? The body and the Caliber position are located at a distance of 5/100 millimeters from the rear on six support points for maximum rigidity.

From an aesthetic point of view, this watch is a little more modest in its case. The mechanism is the place where all the action takes place. The wide arc that overhangs the entire Caliber resembles the RM 27-02 bridges. The RM 27-05 were subjected to a series of vertical and horizontal impacts with acceleration up to 300 g. RM 27-05 costs 1,150,000 dollars. The point is not to create an ultra-affordable product. The point is to create a watchmaking marvel that suits a sports superstar. Rafa can wear a floating tourbillon on a tennis court and feel comfortable at the same time. The RM27 series is the pinnacle of the totem pole for ultralight sports watches, and with each release they become shockingly light.

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