Simply Abu Dhabi XXVII

9 2 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I T he incomparable RichardMille has always carefully selected his partners and brand ambassadors. The unifying trait and commonality between them all? Triumph. They have all been, or continue to be, at the top of their game. Rafael Nadal has collaborated on numerous watches with Richard Mille over their seven-year friendship, and the latest model – the RM 27-03 – is an extraordinary burst of colour, technicality and innovation. The watch is packed with fascinating developments, such as the layers of silica just 45 microns thick with tinted resin that lend the colour such vivid impact, the North Thin Ply Technology (NTPTTM) that goes into the case, and the vast number of hours that go into the milling and finishing operations to produce the case and components. But the really big news here is the watch’s capacity of its tourbillon calibre to withstand shocks up to 10,000 Gs. This new threshold has been attained thanks to years of R&D and countless hours of tests, particularly pendulum impact testing which simulates the linear acceleration that occurs due to sudden movements or shock to the wearer. As clay is Rafael Nadal’s preferred surface, the French Open Roland-Garros tennis tournament was the ideal place for RichardMille to launch the piece and for Rafa to wear it on the court. And he wore it in style as he secured an emphatic straight sets victory over Stan Wawrinka to win the championship. It was the 31-year-old Spaniard's 10th title in the event – two more than any other player in history – and his 15th major tournament triumph overall. Talking about his relationship with RichardMille, Nadal is open and honest saying, “I met Richard Mille nine years ago, through a common friend. We immediately got on. I never used to wear a watch and hadn’t even thought about wearing one, but when Richard proposed to make me a watch that was light, robust and comfortable, I was interested in his initiative, although I was reluctant to wear it on the court! He came to my house in Majorca and we were on the same wavelength. As soon as I tried the watch, I loved it. It’s like a second skin for me. “But the relationship between Richard and myself is more than just a watchmaking partnership. He is a really positive person and wants to drive the watchmaking industry forward, not just sit back and enjoy his success. He seeks excellence, which I respect; in my tennis I always try to be better and I work hard for that.” The formidable partnership between RichardMille and Rafael Nadal is embodied once more in this ultra-light tourbillon calibre watch – a triumph of technical prowess with a burst of red and yellow colour on the ultralight Quartz TPT case that evokes Nadal’s native Spain. The unibody baseplate caseband construction of the RM 27-03 is machined fromCarbon TPT and adds to its virtual indestructability. The unibody concept is borrowed from a type of racing car construction that ensures maximum rigidity and greater resistance to impacts. As another nod to Spain, the mechanical winding tourbillon resembles the head of a bull, and a final sporty twist is seen in the torque-limiting crown formed in the shape of a tennis ball. Richard Mille is producing the RM 27-03 in a limited edition of 50 pieces, and it will be Rafa’s new ally in his future matches. R i c h a r d M i l l e R M 2 7 - 0 3 R A F A E L N A D A L