The new Rafael Nadal RM 35-05 did not disappoint

You know that something good is gonna happen when Richard Mille works on it for 3 years. And the three new RM 35-05s are something worth exploring a little in depth.

 

As for the looks, it’s your “typical” (if you can ever use that word on an RM watch) Richard Mille - tonneau shape, rubber strap, skeletonized dial. Looks glorious, but not what makes these watches so interesting.

 

Photo source: Richard Mille

 

The main feature of the new models is the “Sports Mode” feature. A sports mode on a watch? How does it work? Let’s explore it together.

 

RM aims to tackle a unique problem with most of its releases. Sometimes it’s making the thinnest watch in the world, sometimes crafting a survivalist timepiece with water purification (that really happened). With the 35-05, they decided to solve something a little less glamorous, but still quite important - overwinding.

 

Photo source: Richard Mille

 

You see, a normal watchmaker would probably just add something to prevent the mainspring from overwinding, something small and discreet, a little function which goes unnoticed. What does Richard Mille do? How about stopping the automatic movement by splitting the rotor? Yes, you’ve read it right…

 

The “Sports Mode”, once activated, splits the rotor of the automatic winding, transforming it from the traditional ‘D’ shape to a ‘butterfly’ shape. The idea behind it is that when you’re moving your wrist a lot, one simple push of a button will prevent your very precious timepiece (it will cost you around $238,000) from overwinding.

 

Photo source: Richard Mille

 

Is it necessary? Probably not.

 

Do we love it? Absolutely!

 

Creations like this put Richard Mille on a throne that is very hard to topple. They manage to make timepieces that are the height of watchmaking, while also having a lot of fun with them. Thanks to this quite unique approach, RM is getting more and more praise and love from the watch world, steadily climbing in value and filling a gap in the market.