Tennis Player Rafael Nadal Watch Collection

The Wimbledon 2023, a big tennis event, is here and it's from Monday, July 3 to Sunday, July 16. This exciting event has made me want to write this blog post about one of the top tennis players ever - Rafael Nadal.

Regarding Wimbledon, during Wimbledon 2022, Rafael Nadal was preparing for the last-four clash with Australia's Nick Kyrgios at the All England Club. However, on Thursday afternoon, while practicing, Nadal encountered an unfortunate incident. He had to call a press conference later that evening to announce his withdrawal from the tournament due to an abdominal injury sustained during his quarter-final victory over Taylor Fritz. Consequently, Kyrgios received a walkover in the match.

We all know that he and Roger Federer are good friends but also tough competitors on the tennis court. With Roger retiring from tennis in 2022, Nadal's new big competition is now Novak Djokovic.

Last year, I wrote a blog post about the watches that Roger Federer likes to wear. Now, I think it's time to talk about Rafael Nadal watch collection. So, welcome to this new blog post on IFL Watches. We're going to have a look at the cool watches that Rafael Nadal loves to wear. 

It's easy to notice that Rafa enjoys wearing his watches on the field. He prefers them because they're light and can stand up to the bumps and shakes that come with his sport. These aren't just any watches, though. They were made in partnership with the famous watchmaker, Richard Mille. Keeping this in mind, all the watches you'll see in this blog post are from the Richard Mille collection, showing off their special collaboration.

Are you ready? Let's go!

Let's start with the RM35-03 ‘Baby Nadal.’

Taking inspiration from the RM 027 collection's tourbillon watches worn by Rafa Nadal during his tennis matches, the RM 035 'baby Nadal' collection is crafted as a compact manifestation of cutting-edge technology for those entranced by performance.

The RM 35-03 is a time-only watch – it lacks a tourbillon unlike the better-known RM 27 Nadal – but it has all the qualities that make it a Richard Mille, most notably the lightweight, tonneau-shaped case in brightly colored carbon composite along with a skeletonized dial.

However, the automatic movement, which is skeletonized, incorporates another Richard Mille innovation - their patented butterfly rotor. Additionally, it features a sport mode and a function selector.

Rafael Nadal shares, 'In our individual fields, both Richard and I strive for excellence. We are aligned in our language, fueled by a passion for our work. It's vital for me to keep this fervor alive every day. Even though I don't wear the RM 035 models during competition, it is deeply gratifying to feel the trust Richard and his team put in me, allowing me to be part of this unique journey.'

Retail price: $220,000.

Market price: ~$850,000.

A variant of the Richard Mille RM 35-03 comes with front and back case plates made from white Quartz TPT and Carbon TPT, while the case middle is in Carbon TPT. The remainder of the watch retains the same design, except for a few color differences. 

This particular version seems to have higher demand and is currently fetching approximately $1,000,000 on the grey market.

Several celebrities, including DJ Khaled, Charles LeClerc, and Marcus Rashford, have been sighted sporting this watch.

Next is the Richard Mille RM11-03 which is not the watch designed and developed for Rafa. He didn't need to wear any RM tourbillon Rafael Nadal because as we can see in the picture that he's not on the field so he didn't need a watch with the lightness.

His particular RM11-03 rose gold model features a skeletonized automatic movement, showcasing hours, minutes, and seconds. It also includes a flyback chronograph, a 60-minute countdown timer situated at 9 o'clock, a 12-hour totalizer, an oversized date display, a month indicator, and a variable-geometry rotor.

Market price: ~$400,000.

In 2010, Richard Mille marked its debut into the world of tennis with the unveiling of the new RM 027 Tourbillon. Mirroring the way Felipe Massa wears his watch in every F1 Grand Prix, Rafael Nadal was set to sport his Richard Mille timepiece in all his matches, a remarkable endeavor. 

To ensure the watch was lightweight enough for gameplay, Nadal joined hands with Richard Mille for real-world testing. Back then, the RM 027, weighing under 20 grams (strap included), held the record as the lightest watch ever made.

Limited to 50 pcs.

Retail price: $525,000.

Market price: $1,600,000.

The 2013 release of the Richard Mille RM27-01 aimed to set a new global record for the lightest mechanical watch ever made. An outstanding piece, the RM 27-01 takes the principles of lightness and durability to unprecedented heights.

In 2013, this watch broke the previous record with a total weight of 18.83 grams (including the strap, which is the heaviest element). This achievement represented a significant challenge that was successfully overcome.

Limited edition of 50 pcs.

Retail price: $800,000.

Market price: $1,750,000.

Launched in 2015, the RM 27-02 watch brings a fresh perspective to the craft and approach of 21st-century watchmaking. Richard Mille's engineers have innovatively used Carbon TPT® to create the watch's first-ever 'unibody' skeletonised baseplate. 

In this design, the caseband and baseplate merge into one component, eliminating the requirement to join the two parts. This setup, influenced by the structure of race car frames, boosts the watch's strength and its ability to withstand shocks.

Limited to 50 pieces.

Retail price: $775,000.

Market price: ~$1,300,000.

In 2017, Rafa was spotted donning the Richard Mille RM27-03 model. The striking red and yellow TPT Quartz casing of the RM27-03 is a tribute to Nadal's roots in Spain, reflecting the vibrant colors of the Spanish flag.

It has a special part, the tourbillon movement, that can handle a lot of rough treatment. It sets a new standard for how tough watches can be. This is a big deal in the world of watch making because it can handle a lot of force, up to 10,000 gs! It shows just how strong the Spanish player's game is.

Ed Sheeran and the Crown Prince of Qatar, Sheikh Joaan, also has this colorful watch.

Limited to 50 pieces.

Retail price: $750,000.
Market price: $1,685,000.

The partnership between Richard Mille and Rafa Nadal began in 2010. Since then, several watches have been released bearing Rafael Nadal’s name. However, one of the most extraordinary timepieces ever released by Richard Mille for Nadal is the 50-piece limited edition RM 27-04 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal, unveiled in 2020. 

This was to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Richard Mille's partnership with Nadal, marking the fifth generation of the RM 027 line with the new and astoundingly expensive RM 27-04.

Fitted with a TitaCarb case — a high-performance polyamide reinforced with up to 38.5% carbon fiber — featuring a brownish hue, the total weight of the watch including its strap is a mere 30 grams, and the movement alone weighs only 3.4 grams. 

Notably, the weave of the steel cable is inspired by that of a tennis racket. Although it would be easy to design a tennis watch that simply resembles a racket, Richard Mille has added a level of sophistication and uniqueness to this design.

Retail price: $1,050,000.

Market price: $2,300,000.