RM 38-02 Tourbillon Bubba Watson

PINK COLOR WATCH

Golf is an ideal testing ground for Richard Mill watches, as this sport involves great physical effort. A watch on the wrist of such a powerful “bomber” as Bubba Watson must withstand sudden accelerations and equally sudden braking. When developing the RM 38-02 model, we were guided by these requirements. But not only them.

“I’ve been pushing Richard for ten years to make a pink watch, and now it’s done!” exclaimed Bubba Watson when he first saw the RM 38-02 Tourbillon watch.

PERFECTION FOR THE SAKE OF THE HIGHEST FUNCTIONALITY

RM 38-02 Tourbillon Bubba Watson is the fourth model in the Bubba Watson collection, which was created over 10 years of his collaboration with the Richard Mille family. In terms of perfection, this model, released in a limited edition of 50 copies, is comparable to hitting the hole on the first stroke.

CALIBER RM38-02

manual winding tourbillon, hour and minute display

Limited edition of 50 copies.

POWER RESERVE

Approx. 70 hours (±10%).

CARBON TPT® BOARD

The board is made of carbon fiber Carbon TPT®. This material consists of several parallel layers made from individual carbon filaments. With a thickness of no more than 30 microns, Carbon TPT® layers are impregnated with polymer, and then placed in a special machine that changes the orientation of the fibers between each layer by 45°. After heating to 120 °C at a pressure of 6 bar, Carbon TPT® is processed at the Richard Mille manufacturing center. Carbon TPT® is known for its excellent resistance to microcracks and chipping.
The skeletonized carbon fiber board Carbon TPT® is subjected to careful machining. As the main component of RM 38-02, it has previously passed a series of extreme tests in order to optimize its mechanical properties.

GRADE 5 TITANIUM BRIDGES

The bridges are made of Grade 5 PVD-treated titanium, a biocompatible, highly corrosion-resistant and extremely durable alloy that facilitates gear operation. The alloy consists of 90% titanium, 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium. This combination further improves the mechanical properties of the material, which explains its frequent use in the aerospace, aviation and automotive industries. Like the support plate, the bridges have been subjected to intensive and comprehensive tests in order to increase their strength.

Taking into account that in golf today the acceleration of the ball can reach 50,000 “g”, it was necessary to provide the RM 38-02 watch with the ability to withstand impacts with an acceleration of at least 10,000 “g”. A truly fantastic task considering that the thickness of their mechanism is only 9.19 mm. The engineers paid special attention to the size of the watch in order to maximize its architecturally complex structure, but at the same time made it compact enough for maximum impact resistance.

BALANCE OF A FREE SPRING WITH VARIABLE INERTIA

This type of balance guarantees increased reliability during impact, as well as during assembly or disassembly of the mechanism, which ensures better timing results over time.
Instead of the index of the regulator, 4 adjusting screws are used for more accurate and stable adjustment.

WIND-UP TEETH AND GEAR OF THE MIDDLE WHEEL WITH A CENTRAL INVOLUTE PROFILE

The center-involute profile of the teeth of the winding drum and gear ensures an optimal pressure angle of 20 °. This promotes efficient rotational movement and compensates for possible deviations in the clutch, thereby significantly improving torque transmission.

MECHANISM CHARACTERISTICS

Dimensions of the mechanism: 29.52 x 30.84 mm
Thickness: 9.19 mm
Tourbillon diameter: 10.90 mm
Balance diameter: 9.12 mm
Number of stones: 21
Balance: Glucydur® with 2 arms and 4 adjusting screws, moment of inertia 11.50 mg• cm2², lifting angle 53 °
Frequency: 21600 half-vibrations per hour (3 Hz)
Balance spring: elinvar by Nivarox®
Impact protection: KIF ELASTOR KE 160 B28
Winding drum shaft: made of nickel-free Chronifer® alloy (DIN x 46 Cr 13 + S) with the following characteristics: stainless – antimagnetic – hardened

HOUSING

The design and execution of the watch demonstrate a unified conceptual approach to the mechanism, case and dial. As a result, it is designed to meet extremely strict requirements.
The bezel and back cover are made of pink and white Quartz TPT®, while the case strap combines layers of Carbon TPT® and pink Quartz TPT®.
Carbon TPT® and Quartz TPT® are the brand’s exclusive materials with a unique look in watchmaking. On their beautiful surfaces, the correct pattern is visible, but each time unique, as they consist of several layers of parallel threads, from individual carbon fibers or quartz threads.

In the case of Quartz TPT®, silicon dioxide layers with a thickness of no more than 45 microns are impregnated with a pink dye developed specifically for Richard Mille and woven on a special machine that changes the weft direction by 45° between pink and white quartz threads or between layers of pink quartz and layers of Carbon TPT®.
The elongated three-piece body prevents the torque crown from rubbing against the wrist.
The case is waterproof to a depth of 50 meters, which is provided by two nitrile O-rings and is assembled using 20 Grade 5 titanium slotted screws and 316L stainless steel wear-resistant washers.