The orange strap of the new RM 27-02 “Rafael Nadal” watch by Richard Mille catches the eye. It evokes in fact the clay courts' color of Roland-Garros, the French Tennis Open Mecca. But this third version of what has become the most extreme line at Richard Mille has a lot more to say. Indeed, the top and back of the case are made out of a mix of NTPT carbon and TPT quartz, which is what creates the irregular alternation of white and black colors. 

The skeletonized movement has arched bridges, the bezel and back are mounted directly onto the unibody baseplate for more rigidity, and the watch boasts 70 hours of power reserve. Surprisingly, the weight of this new version wasn’t released. We guess that it is a slightly heavier than the previous because the glass is here in sapphire crystal rather than Plexiglas. Richard Mille took advantage of the Roland Garros Grand Slam tennis tournament in Paris – where Rafael Nadal has already been the champion nine times – to introduce this watch. At the same time, the brand also inaugurated its new boutique close to the Champs-Elysées in the heart of Paris. As Mille says, it was necessary to have a greater place to show properly all the collections that the brand has now.