RM 35-02
AN EXCITING CHALLENGE
Developing the Nadal line, always an attractive prospect, means ambitiously pursuing continued technical improvements, while keeping the watch’s aesthetics up to date through advantageous use of new materials—like the Carbon TPT® line—and new colours.
Inspired by the RM 35-01, the RM 35-02 emerged in response to a request from many Richard Mille customers for a self-winding mechanism at the heart of a Nadal calibre.
RM 35-02 AUTOMATIC RAFAEL NADAL
CALIBRE RMAL1
Skeletonised automatic-winding movement with hours, minutes, seconds and variable-geometry rotor.
POWER RESERVE
Circa 55 hours (± 10%).
BASEPLATE AND BRIDGES IN GRADE 5 TITANIUM
Like its predecessors, the RM 35-02 Rafael Nadal coalesces the fruits of a constant quest for innovation in a unique design.
The baseplate and bridges are in wet-sandblasted grade 5 titanium, which has been PVD/Titalyt® treated and stretched to ensure supreme rigidity and impeccably smooth surfaces.
The skeletonised baseplate and bridges were subjected to separate and extensive validation tests to ensure they met rigorous strength requirements. Consequently, the RM 35-02 can withstand accelerations of up to 5,000 g’s.
VARIABLE-GEOMETRY ROTOR
The RM 35-02 emerged in response to a request from many Richard Mille customers for a self-winding mechanism at the heart of a Nadal calibre. The decision to use the brand’s patented variable-geometry rotor—a hallmark of Richard Mille’s automatic movements—was self-evident.
Rotor specifications
• Arm in grade 5 titanium
• High palladium content 18K white gold weight segments
• Weight segment with 6 possible positions adjusted by screws in grade 5 titanium
• Ceramic ball bearings
• Unidirectional, anti-clockwise winding direction
This exclusive Richard Mille design makes it possible to effectively adapt rewinding of the mainspring to the user’s activity level, in sporting or non-sporting environments. By adjusting the six-position rib, the rotor’s inertia is modified to either speed up the winding process in the case of leisurely arm movements, or to slow it down during sporting activities
MOVEMENT CHARACTERISTICS
Movement dimensions: 30.25 x 28.45 mm
Thickness: 4.45 mm
Number of jewels: 32
Barrel arbour: in AP 20 steel
Balance: Glucydur®, 2 arms and 4 setting screws, moment of inertia 4.8 mg•cm2, angle of lift 53°
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Balance spring: elinvar by Nivarox®
Shock protection: INCABLOC 908.22.211.100 (transparent)
Escapement wheel jewels: Rubifix (transparent)
Two-position stem: Manual winding and time setting
CASE
Carbon TPT® and Quartz TPT® are exclusive materials with a unique appearance. Their remarkable surface displays extremely regular damascene visual patterns as they are composed of multiple layers of parallel filaments obtained by dividing carbon fibres or silica threads.
These layers, with a maximum thickness of 45 microns, are impregnated with resin, then woven on a special machine that modifies the orientation of the fibres by 45° between layers. Heated to 120°C at a pressure of 6 bars, these materials are then ready to be processed on a CNC machine at Richard Mille’s case factory.
In another first for the Nadal collection, the caseback is protected by a sapphire crystal sporting an anti-reflective treatment so that the calibre may be admired from every angle.
The case of the RM 35-02 is water resistant to 50 metres, ensured by two Nitrile O-ring seals. The case is assembled with 20 spline screws in grade 5 titanium and abrasion-resistant washers in 316L stainless steel.
Finishing
Movement
• Baseplate wet-sandblasted grade 5 titanium, PVD-treated and hand-drawn after treatment
• Bridges in hand-ground grade 5 titanium, wet-sandblasted and Titalyt® treated
• Hand-polished locking sections
• Burnished pivots
• Pinions with undercuts
Steel parts
• Screw slot and screw bevelled and polished with rounded and polished tip
• Straight line grain finish on the upper surface
• Microblasted lower surfaces
• Hand-polished sinks
Wheels
• Sandblasted and rhodium-plated wheels, bevelled before cutting the teeth
• Minimal corrections applied to the wheels in order to preserve geometry and performance
Other features
FREE-SPRUNG BALANCE WITH VARIABLE INERTIA
This type of balance wheel represents the ultimate in innovation. It guarantees greater reliability when subjected to shocks and during movement assembly or disassembly, hence better chronometric results over time. The regulator index is eliminated, and a more accurate and repeatable calibration is possible thanks to 4 adjustable small weights located directly on the balance.
DOUBLE-BARREL SYSTEM
The double-barrel system helps to improve torque stability over a longer period. This is achieved by distributing the stored energy across two winding barrels instead of one, which increases the number of rotations and reduces pressure on the teeth, bearings and pivots, resulting in better long-term performance.
SPLINE SCREWS IN GRADE 5 TITANIUM FOR THE BRIDGES AND CASE
This permits better control of the torque applied to screws during assembly. These screws are therefore unaffected by physical manipulation during assembly or disassembly and age well.