Rafael Nadal’s butterfly effect, the latest Richard Mille watch to wear black

One of Spain’s most beloved sportsmen returns to competition: Rafael Nadal will return to the tennis courts in January after months of dealing with his physical problems, and it can be no coincidence that his watch brand of choice, Richard Mille, yesterday launched the latest version of its RM 35-03 Automatic Rafael Nadal model.

This watch, which is not the one he plays tournaments with (it belongs to the RM 027 line with tourbillon), was presented just two years ago. It then became part of the RM 035 catalogue inaugurated in 2011 for the greater glory of the Balearic champion, and it did so as the fourth in the collection. It featured the characteristic Richard Mille barrel shape and a new winding mechanism. It was produced with a white case and light blue strap and with a dark blue case and white strap, and sold for around 200,000 euros.

Now those two are joined by a black iteration made with carbon TPT, “thin film technology” which refers to the method by which thin layers of silicon are bonded with different coloured resins in high-pressure furnaces. Nothing else changes. It still incorporates a butterfly-shaped rotor, a system that allows the wearer of the watch to control the winding of the automatic movement and to adjust the calibre’s winding speed according to its level of activity by means of a push-button.

The wearer can thus switch from “normal” mode, which arms the mainspring barrel, to “sport” mode, which suspends the rotor’s activity. On the dial, a winding indicator at 6 o’clock shows whether the oscillating weight is active (on) or inactive (off). This ensures the optimal performance of the instrument. It is an extension of the variable-geometry rotor, another distinctive feature of Richard Mille’s automatic mechanisms.

It won’t be long before we see the champion wearing it.

Text by Ana Franco