CALIBRE RMAL1 Skeletonised automatic movement with hours, minutes, seconds and variable-geometry rotor. Developing the Nadal line is always an attractive prospect, because it involves ambitiously pursuing continued technical improvements while keeping the watch’s aesthetics current through the clever use of new materials – like the Carbon TPT line – and new colours. Inspired by the RM 35-01, the RM 35-02 emerged in response to a request from many Richard Mille customers for a self-winding mechanism at the heart of a Nadal calibre. From their very first meeting in 2008, Richard Mille and Rafael Nadal embarked on one of the most extraordinary shared adventures in contemporary fine watchmaking. As a result, the name ‘Nadal’ now graces a unique collection of Richard Mille watches that are synonymous with innovation, lightness and shock-resistance. Each of the models they have designed together – from the first RM 027 with its carbon nanotube case in 2010 to the cable-suspended movement of the RM 27-01, or the RM 27-02 with its Carbon TPT ‘unibody’ baseplate – has embodied a major leap forwards in terms of research and development, bearing witness to what could well be described as an entirely new, structural approach to watchmaking. Like its predecessors, the RM 35-02 Rafael Nadal coalesces the fruits of a constant quest for innovation within a unique design. Powered by the RMAL1 calibre, the baseplate and bridges in wet-sandblasted grade 5 titanium have been PVD/Titalyt-treated and stretched to ensure supreme rigidity and impeccably smooth surfaces. The variable inertia balance wheel, oscillating at 28,800 vph, is driven by a double-barrel system for greater torque stability. The RM 35-02 emerged in response to a request from many Richard Mille customers for a self-winding mechanism in a Nadal watch. The decision to use the brand’s patented variable-geometry rotor – a real emblem of Richard Mille’s automatic movements –was an obvious one that made it possible to adjust the winding to the wearer’s activities. In another first for the Nadal collection, the case back is protected by a sapphire crystal sporting an anti-reflective treatment, so that the calibre can be admired from every angle. The automatic RM 35-02 Rafael Nadal is available in either Carbon TPT or a daring bright Quartz-TPT Red with white highlights. Its silicon layers, each no thicker than 45 microns, are treated with a red matrix that has been specially created for Richard Mille, then layered using an automatic system that changes the direction of the fibres in each layer by 45°. Once it has been heated under pressure at 120°C in an autoclave similar to those used for aeronautical components, the material is ready to be worked by ProArt, the manufacturer dedicated to the machining of Richard Mille components and cases. The natural white quartz fibre, which is left undyed as per watchmaking custom, offers a very high resistance/weight ratio, hypoallergenic properties and excellent UV resistance. But the true triumph of the engineers at Richard Mille and North Thin Ply Technology resides in the development of a red matrix that draws a stark contrast with the natural white of the quartz and its transparent resin. Designed for maximum biocompatibility, stability and resistance and compliant with REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) regulations, the Quartz-TPT Red adorning the RM 35-02 can withstand accelerations of up to 5,000 gs.