By Jovan K
The RM 35-03 made its debut back in 2021 in two versions; white Quartz TPT with a Carbon TPT caseband and blue Quartz TPT with a white Quartz caseband, followed by a full Carbon TPT edition in 2023. This year, the brand is turning up the boldness with softer, more vibrant tones that contrast with the watch’s cutting edge mechanics.
One version combines pastel blue Quartz TPT bezels with a salmon caseband and a blue rubber strap. The other flips the palette; salmon bezels paired with a pastel blue caseband and a black strap. Thanks to the layered structure of Quartz TPT, which is made of multiple layers of parallel filaments obtained by dividing carbon fibres or silica threads. These layers are then pressed and heated; the striated surface is unique to each watch, meaning no two are ever the same.
Sized at 43.15mm × 49.95mm and 13.15mm thick, the RM 35-03 is water resistant to 50 meters and powered by the skeletonised RMAL2 Calibre. The movement beats at 4 Hz and features a free-sprung balance with variable inertia for robustness and precision. But the real party trick is Richard Mille’s patented “butterfly rotor”. Unlike the older variable geometry rotor, this design lets the wearer manually switch between two modes. A traditional winding setup or a sport mode that locks the rotor to avoid overwinding during heavy activity. A pusher at 7 o’clock deploys the mechanism, shifting titanium weights to neutralize winding.
The watch also comes with a dual-barrel setup for a 55h power reserve, plus a function selector at 2 o’clock for winding (W), neutral (N), or hand-setting (H).
In short, it’s the same high performance Nadal machine but dressed for summer in pastel tones that feel anything but shy. The new Richard Mille RM 35-03 Rafael Nadal models are priced at CHF 220,000 before taxes.
