Light as a racket string
By Priya Nair, Singapore ยท
Rafael Nadal has played matches wearing Richard Mille, which is either the best piece of engineering marketing in the industry or a very expensive dare.
The RM 35-02 is 42.7 mm wide, 13.95 mm thick, made of carbon composite, with a skeleton dial and the automatic RMUL3 giving 55 hours, on a rubber strap, 50 m. It weighs almost nothing; that's the entire point of the carbon and the movement. On a hot evening it would feel like wearing nothing at all.
But 200,000 to 240,000 dollars for carbon and rubber is a lot of conviction. The case looks matte, sporty and somehow inexpensive from across a room, which is an odd effect for something costing more than a car. Resale for RM has been strong, partly thanks to scarcity, but it's speculative.
If you play serious tennis, or sail, and want a status object that can survive a forehand, it makes sense. Otherwise it's a lot of money to look like you've just come off court.