Watch maker Richard Mille unveils the RM 027 Tourbillon, the Swiss company’s first timepiece to weigh in at less than one ounce. This feat being a goal held by Richard Mille himself and created as a lightweight tourbillon that professional tennis player Rafael Nadal (who also collaborated on the project) can wear on the court.
This watch will be strictly limited to just 50 pieces and a price tag of $525,000 that clearly reflects its level of exclusivity. Mechanically the RM 027 employs a lithium-aluminium alloy for the movement baseplate and a carbon composite for the exterior. Such aerospace-grade materials are not new to Mille’s watches however, with the RM 009 featuring a case made of the aluminium and silicium mixture used in satellites, but they reach their apogee in the RM 027.
Belying the watch’s lightness is its appearance. A network of columns and struts lends the look of a heavyweight to the RM 027 while protecting the tourbillon’s power train from shocks—including those it might sustain at this year’s US Open.
