m
M a n u fac t u r e
Nadal’s matches can sometimes last for hours. The idea here
was to bring a tourbillon watch into the arena that can withstand
shocks while remaining comfortable and ridiculously lightweight.
For instance, the RM 27-01, released a few years ago, weighed in at
a truly featherweight 14 grams without the bracelet - and that’s with
the movement installed of course.
To ensure extreme lightness and rigidity, the RM 27-01 back bezel
and case band are an integrated construction.
There is an anecdote related to how Richard Mille found his
first lightweight material for the RM 006 case, made in 2005, that
marked the start of the ‘lightweight theme’ at RM.
In 2005, Richard Mille and his research team needed an extremely lightweight baseplate and a material called carbon nanofiber met their requirement. They were only able to obtain it from a
military supplier to the U. S. Air Force. This material was used in
parts for the F-117 Stealth Fighter because it allows radar waves to
pass through, therefore aiding the plane’s stealth functions.
Carbon nanofiber is created by molding carbon nanotubes in
a black polymer matrix at 2,000°C under 750 bars of pressure.
The resulting carbon nanofiber is extremely durable (two hundred
times stronger than steel) and very light. This material is capable of
absorbing far stronger impacts than traditional carbon fiber due to
their structure with its excellent surface-volume ratio.
For the RM 27-02 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal, the Richard Mille
team crossed new boundaries in terms of case design and materials.
In their quest for a lightweight material of extremely high rigidity, the Richard Mille team chanced upon a scrap piece of the mast
of the Alinghi, the boat that won the America’s Cup. “We had this
piece that we tried to saw manually but it was impossible to cut as it
was blunting our tools,” says Alain Varrin, plant manager.
North Thin Ply Technology had developed this material, known
as NTPT carbon. Its surface displays extremely regular wood-like
undulations when milled, since it is composed of multiple layers of
parallel filaments obtained by dividing carbon fibers. These layers,
with a maximum thickness of 30 microns, are impregnated with
resin then woven on a special machine that modifies the direction of
the weft by 45° between layers.
“We use 800 layers to make up the thickness of the case, which
allows incredible rigidity,” says Boillat. Heated to 120°C at a pressure of 6 bars, the NTPT is then ready to be processed on on CNC
machines at the ProArt case factory.
The central case band for the RM 27-02 Rafael Nadal shows
how form and function can be combined to create a sculpture
where the relief of the internal space draws us into a maze of
geometries and planes.
“The material is diabolically rigid,” says Boillat. When compared to other composite materials, NTPT carbon improves the rate
66
Wristwatch | 2016
Top: Rafael Nadal
playing with his RM
027 on his right wrist
Middle: RM 27-01
Manual Winding
Tourbillon Rafael
Nadal
Bottom: RM 27-02
Tourbillon Rafael
Nadal