Rafael Nadal gets new superlight watch

Weighing just 19 grams (including velcro strap) and priced at more than half a million dollars, the Tourbillon RM 27-01 Rafael Nadal watch is the latest in sports watch technology and is now being used by the Spanish ace in all of his matches.

Extremely light, the watch can also resist accelerations of over 5,000 G with no repercussions, and is housed in a scratch- and shock-resistant antracite casing, rich in carbon nanotubes. The watch movement, which weighs just 3.5 grams, is suspended in the casing by four braided steel cables (just 0.35mm in diameter). 

The movement uses LITAL®, a lithium alloy containing aluminium, copper, magnesium and zirconium, which is used on the Airbus A380, helicopters, rockets and satellites as well as in Formula 1 cars. 

This isn’t the first watch Richard Mille has produced for Nadal; the first model, named the RM 27 had a chequered past, with the tennis player once leaving it behing in a locker room and once having it stolen from his hotel while he was sleeping (don’t worry, the watch was recovered both times). 

The RM 27-01, is currently available in a limited edition of 50 timepieces via official Richard Mille stockists and will be priced at $690,000.

Nadal is not the only major tennis player with a top-flight watch. Roger Federer, the game’s most successful commercial star has a deal with Rolex, which, alongside agreements with Wilson and Nike, sees the Swiss player net over €20 million per year in sponsorships. Three-in-a-row Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic is an ambassador for Swiss luxury watch brand Audemars Piguet.