The Story Behind the Richard Mille RM 35-01 and Rafael Nadal

Every luxury watch is a unique creation that tells a story one way or another. From the origin of an entire collection to the inspiration for a specific model, the story behind a luxury watch can tell you a lot about its design, features, and why it should be a part of your collection. The Richard Mille RM 35-01 is one such watch with a story worth telling.

Launched in 2014 as part of luxury watchmaker Richard Mille’s Baby Nadal collection, the RM 35-01 is the product of a long and interesting partnership with one of the greatest sportsmen in the world, tennis Champion Rafael Nadal.

Like other Nadal watches, the RM 35-01 was created as a durable timepiece that could withstand the rigorous demands of professional sports while maintaining the classic Richard Mille style and elegance. In this post, we’ll take a deep dive into the story behind this watch and its connection to Rafael Nadal, exploring its history and significance.

Back to the beginning (RM 027)

The first Richard Mille watch hit the market in 2001, right at the turn of the millennium. It ushered in a new era of luxury watchmaking with timepieces designed to capture the essence of sports and luxury in perfect synergy. While there were definitely sports watches before Richard Mille came along, the watchmaker started a trend of creating durable watches designed specifically for a specific sport.

This trend began with watches created for the car racing world but soon extended to other sports as well. By 2010, Richard Mille was ready to take on the world of impact sports starting with tennis.

As the story goes, Richard Mille, himself approached none other than tennis champion Rafael Nadal in 2008 to discuss the possibility of creating a timepiece in his honor. Expectedly, Nadal was skeptical. Watches were fashionable and stylish, but one would expect that wearing one on the court for a competitive match would impede performance. Nevertheless, Richard Mille took up the challenge, and two years later the first Richard Mille Rafael Nadal watch was born.

This Tourbillon sports watch was called the RM 027, kickstarting a long line of Nadal watches based on a similar design philosophy. The RM 027 Tourbillon was an impressive piece of horological engineering. It is the first timepiece designed specifically to be worn on a tennis court.

Even more impressive was the fact that it featured a tourbillon mechanism, which is traditionally a delicate watch complication. Yet, the RM 027 was durable enough to withstand the shock generated by the powerful swings and shots of a remarkable Tennis player like Rafael Nadal. At the same time, it was also built to be ultra-lightweight so it could be worn on the court, both for practice and competitive matches without getting in the way. It has been tested by Rafeal Nadal himself on the biggest stage, confirming the watch as a ultralight and comfortable piece that can be worn even during an intense match.

RM 035 - From “Nadal” to “Baby Nadal”

Richard Mille only produced 50 pieces of the original RM 027 Tourbillon “Rafael Nadal” watch. With the first watch confirming the viability of a durable watch built for the tennis court, Richard Mille began working on a main line of Nadal watches for the general public.

A year later (2011), the RM 035, which was basically a non-tourbillon version of the RM 027 was launched. This created a distinct line of Nadal watches. The RM 035 watches were nicknamed “baby Nadals” which is probably not a very accurate nickname since they were practically the same size as the RM 027 watches.

Like its predecessor, this new line of Richard Mille watches embodied the same attributes of durability, ergonomics, and lightness. In fact, the RM 35 was the first Richard Mille watch to be Chronofiable® certified, providing conclusive proof of its durability and accuracy even under stress.

While the RM 35 was an offshoot of the RM 027, it was intended to be a practical piece that could be worn by regular people as an everyday piece rather than a specialty piece for the tennis court. Instead of the carbon composite casing used in RM 027, Richard Mille favored an alumagnesium casing for this watch. The choice of material helped to keep the watch lightweight while promoting durability.

The choice of materials also meant that the watch came at a more affordable price point compared to its predecessor. While the exclusive RM 027 sold for $500,000, the first RM 35 watch was sold for $85,000 in retail.

RM 35-01 Rafael Nadal

The Richard Mille RM 35-01 is the second non-tourbillon “Baby Nadal” timepiece and the third watch in the Nadal series. Just a year before the release of this sports watch in 2014, the watchmaker released the second Tourbillon Nadal watch (RM 27-01). At the time, it was the lightest watch in the world, weighing just 18.83g. Richard Mille built on the success of the earlier Nadal and Baby Nadal watches to produce the RM 35-01.

The new watch was an upgrade over its predecessor in a lot of ways, particularly in the build of the casing. The new watch featured a Carbon NTPT casing. The proprietary carbon material was produced by a company known as North Thin Ply Technology (NTPT) and was adopted by Richard Mille in October 2013, just a year before the new Baby Nadal watch was launched.

Carbon NTPT was originally made to be used in the sail of racing yachts and chassis of F1 vehicles, so it was naturally lightweight and highly durable. It soon became one of the brand’s most utilized materials, adopted for several other watches. The RM 35-01 was one of the earliest Richard Mille watches to be made of this material.

The design of this watch is also slightly more casual compared to the Nadal watches. Instead of technical sophistication alone, the watchmaker focused on designing a watch with sleek contours and athletic aesthetics that will appeal to the discerning sports fans and horological aficionados

When it was unveiled in 2014, the RM 35-01 sold for a retail price of $130,000. This watch is no longer in Richard Mile’s main lineup, which means it can only be purchased in the secondary market at a higher premium (between $250,000 to $350,000). In the Baby Nadal line, the RM 35-01 was replaced by the Richard Mille RM 35-02 in 2016. This was the first automatic Richard Mille Rafael Nadal watch produced to meet the desires of fans who wanted a self-winding version of the Baby Nadal.

The Rafael Nadal Connection

Richard Mille and Rafael Nadal have enjoyed a fruitful collaboration so far. In roughly 17 years of partnership, the watchmaker has launched up to 10 models in his honor both in the Nadal and Baby Nadal lines.

As the second generation of the Baby Nadal watch, the RM 35-01 stands as one of the most impressive symbols of that partnership. The Richard Mille website describes this watch as the “horological incarnation of the tennis champion’s strength and will”.

Nadal more fondly wears the RM 027 watches because they’re formulated specifically for on-court performance. Yet, the Baby Nadal watches like the RM 35 embody the true essence of the Nadal watch in a more accessible casing.

The RM 35-01 in particular is a subtle update of the original RM 35 watches with its ornately designed casing and dial. In fact, while the first Baby Nadal watch lacked a direct aesthetic connection to the Tennis legend, the RM 35-01 is decorated with Nadal’s signature colors of red and yellow, which also pays homage to the flag of his home country, Spain.

More importantly, the RM 35-01 and other RM 35 watches are considered entry-level versions of the traditional Nadal watches due to their relatively affordable price. The larger production quantity also enables more people to share in the legacy of the Richard Mille and Rafael Nadal partnership.

Conclusion