Richard Mille has made watches for Rafael Nadal since 2010, and they fall into two families: the RM 27 tourbillons, built in editions of about 50 to 80 pieces and priced well into seven figures, and the RM 35 series, the manual and automatic "Baby Nadal" watches that most buyers can realistically source and that trade between the mid US$100,000s and the mid US$600,000s in 2026. Nadal wore the watches on court through 22 Grand Slam titles, which is why the RM 27 line is engineered around shock resistance and weight rather than around display. This guide covers each RM 27 and RM 35 reference, what changed from one to the next, how the two families compare, what they cost on the secondary market on a dated basis, and what to check before buying one. Bizak & Co. sources Nadal editions to order; the Richard Mille collection lists the references we can seek.
Last reviewed on September 21, 2026 by Filip Biczak. Prices are dated observations, not quotes.
Why does Rafael Nadal wear a Richard Mille?
Richard Mille approached Nadal in 2008 with a proposal that other brands had not made: a mechanical tourbillon he could wear during matches rather than only at the trophy ceremony. The engineering problem was weight and shock. A tennis serve subjects the wrist to accelerations that would stop or damage a conventional tourbillon, and a heavy case would change the feel of the racket. The RM 027 that resulted in 2010 weighed under 20 grams including the strap and used a carbon composite case with a lithium-aluminium alloy baseplate. Nadal has worn every subsequent RM 27 on court, and the brand has used each generation to push shock resistance further, from about 5,000 g on the RM 027 to figures above 10,000 g on the RM 27-03 and later. The RM 35 series applied the same design language to a watch that does not need a tourbillon and can be made in larger numbers.
Nadal retired from professional tennis in November 2024 after the Davis Cup finals, and the partnership continues; the retirement moved the pieces from active sports watches to collectables with a closed story, which has supported secondary prices for the tourbillons.
Richard Mille RM 27 Rafael Nadal tourbillons: every reference
| Reference | Year | What defined it | Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| RM 027 | 2010 | First Nadal tourbillon; under 20 g with strap; carbon composite case, lithium-aluminium baseplate | 50 pieces |
| RM 27-01 | 2013 | Movement suspended inside the case on braided steel cables 0.35 mm thick; about 19 g | 50 pieces |
| RM 27-02 | 2015 | Unibody construction: baseplate fused with the caseband; Quartz TPT and Carbon TPT case | 50 pieces |
| RM 27-03 | 2017 | Shock resistance rated to 10,000 g; red and yellow Quartz TPT case in the Spanish flag colours; bull motif on the bridge | 50 pieces |
| RM 27-04 | 2020 | Movement suspended on a woven steel cable net, like racket strings; TitaCarb case; rated to 12,000 g | 50 pieces |
| RM 27-05 | 2023 | Flying tourbillon in a new Carbon TPT B.4 grade; the thinnest and lightest of the line; rated to 14,000 g | Small edition, larger than the earlier 50 |
Each RM 27 is a different answer to the same question, which is how to keep a tourbillon running when the wrist is hit by a serve. Cables, a unibody plate, a cable net and a new carbon grade are the four structural ideas; the case materials and colours follow. Because every edition is 50 pieces or close to it, the RM 27s almost never appear at retail and sell above their launch prices on the secondary market.
Source: Richard Mille collections lists the Nadal pieces still in the current range, and the brand's services page covers the warranty and the service programme that applies to all of them.
Richard Mille RM 35 Rafael Nadal: the Baby Nadal family
| Reference | Year | Movement | Case | Bizak catalogue, 21 Sep 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RM 035 "Baby Nadal" | 2011 | RMUL1 manual, skeletonised, about 55 h reserve | Magnesium-aluminium alloy, about 48 mm by 40 mm; Black Toro ceramic Americas edition from 2014 | US$162,749 aluminium pre-owned; US$178,999 black alloy; US$325,499 to 349,999 Black Toro |
| RM 35-01 | 2014 | RMUL3 manual, skeletonised | NTPT carbon, the first RM to use it | US$285,180 |
| RM 35-02 | 2016 | RMAL1 automatic with variable-geometry rotor | Quartz TPT (white, red) or Carbon TPT, about 49.9 mm by 42.7 mm | US$269,699 to 353,080 depending on case and set |
| RM 35-03 | 2023 | RMAL2 automatic with "butterfly" rotor switched by a pusher at 7 o'clock | Carbon TPT with blue or white Quartz TPT, about 49.95 mm by 43.15 mm by 13.15 mm | US$330,149 pre-owned to US$604,499 for the Quartz TPT editions; unworn black carbon US$449,999 |
The RM 35 line is where the Nadal name meets a watch you can buy. The RM 035 is manual-winding and light; the RM 35-01 brought carbon; the RM 35-02 added an automatic movement whose rotor geometry can be adjusted to the owner's activity level; and the RM 35-03 lets the wearer switch the rotor between winding and free-spinning with a pusher, so the watch can be worn for sport without overwinding. Catalogue asks above are pre-owned unless stated and are sourced to order.
RM 27 vs RM 35: which Nadal watch?
| RM 27 tourbillons | RM 35 series | |
|---|---|---|
| Movement | Manual tourbillon, engineered for shock | Manual (035, 35-01) or automatic (35-02, 35-03), no tourbillon |
| Weight | Under 20 g with strap on most editions | Light, but conventional; the RM 35-03 is a full-size sports watch |
| Production | About 50 to 80 per reference | Hundreds per reference and colour |
| Bizak catalogue, 21 Sep 2026 | RM 27-03 US$1,231,900; RM 27-04 US$2,343,599 to 2,519,999 | US$162,749 to 604,499 |
| Best for | Collectors who want the piece Nadal actually wore on court | Buyers who want the Nadal design language and a watch to wear |
The RM 35-02 and RM 35-03 are the sensible Nadal watches: automatic, robust and available in enough numbers that a dealer can source a specific colour. The RM 27s are trophies. The RM 27-04, with its cable net, is the one most collectors name first; the RM 27-03 in the Spanish colours is the most recognisable on court.
How do the Nadal watches wear?
The RM 35 cases are large on paper, about 50 mm long by 43 mm wide on the RM 35-03, but the tonneau curve and the near-total absence of weight change the experience. Carbon TPT is warm to the touch and does not show scratches the way titanium does. The rubber strap and titanium clasp are sized for an active wrist and the crown is a torque-limited design that slips rather than overwinds. The RM 27s wear like nothing at all; owners describe forgetting they are on. Water resistance is modest on all of them, typically 50 m on the RM 35 series and less on the tourbillons, so these are not swimming watches despite the sports story.
How much is a Richard Mille Nadal watch in 2026?
- Retail. Richard Mille prices are given through boutiques, and the Nadal editions are allocated to existing clients. The current RM 35-03 has sat in the low-to-mid US$200,000s at retail since launch according to boutique quotes we have seen, with the exact figure on request; RM 27 retail runs into seven figures.
- Secondary market. In 2025 and 2026 the RM 035 and RM 35-01 have traded below the RM 35-02, which in turn sits below the RM 35-03. Quartz TPT colour editions carry a premium over black carbon. RM 27 editions have generally asked at multiples of their launch prices.
- Bizak catalogue asks. On 21 September 2026 our sourced catalogue listed the RM 035 from US$162,749, the RM 35-01 at US$285,180, the RM 35-02 from US$269,699 to US$353,080, the RM 35-03 from US$330,149 to US$604,499, the RM 27-03 at US$1,231,900 and the RM 27-04 at US$2,343,599 to US$2,519,999, all sourced to order.
Those figures describe what we saw and will move. Ask for a dated quote for the exact reference, case and set; our Richard Mille price guide explains how to compare quotes across references.
Is a Richard Mille Nadal a good investment?
The RM 27 tourbillons have been among the strongest performers in the Richard Mille catalogue because they are the pieces with the clearest story, the smallest editions and the most on-court exposure. The RM 35 series has held value well but is more sensitive to the wider Richard Mille market, which softened from its 2022 peak before steadying. Colour editions and full sets hold better than black carbon watch-only examples. Buy the one you want to wear; if resale matters, ask for a written cash-buy assessment before you commit.
Buying a used Richard Mille Nadal: what to check
- Papers and edition number. Every Nadal piece carries a number on the case or on the warranty card; the number, the card and the boutique invoice should agree. Richard Mille does not reissue cards.
- Case material. Learn what Quartz TPT and Carbon TPT look like in layers; the stripes should be continuous through the caseband and bezel. Painted or printed stripes are a fake.
- Crown and pushers. The RM 35-03 pusher at 7 o'clock should click between the rotor modes; the crown should slip under torque rather than resist.
- Movement view. The skeletonised bridges are visible from both sides. Look for even grade 5 titanium finishing and unmarked screw heads; service marks are visible on an open movement.
- Strap and clasp. Original Richard Mille rubber straps are expensive to replace and the clasp is reference-specific; a generic strap lowers the price.
- Service history. Richard Mille services its own watches. A piece with a brand service record is worth more than one serviced elsewhere.
- Price against the band. A Nadal edition offered well under the market is the single most reliable warning sign.
Our authentication process describes what we inspect before dispatch.
Quick answers
What Richard Mille does Rafael Nadal wear?
On court Nadal wore the RM 27 tourbillons, from the RM 027 of 2010 to the RM 27-05 of 2023. The RM 35 series, from the RM 035 to the RM 35-03, carries his name and is the family most buyers can source.
How much is a Richard Mille Nadal watch?
Bizak's sourced catalogue listed the RM 035 from US$162,749, the RM 35-02 from US$269,699, the RM 35-03 from US$330,149 and the RM 27-04 from US$2,343,599 on 21 September 2026, all sourced to order.
What is the Baby Nadal?
The RM 035 of 2011, the first non-tourbillon Nadal watch, in a magnesium-aluminium alloy case with a manual-winding skeleton movement. The nickname is sometimes applied loosely to the whole RM 35 series.
What is the difference between the RM 35-02 and RM 35-03?
The RM 35-02 has an automatic movement with a variable-geometry rotor set by a watchmaker; the RM 35-03 has a butterfly rotor the owner switches with a pusher at 7 o'clock, a slightly larger case and Quartz TPT accents.
How light is the RM 27?
Under 20 grams including the strap on most editions; the RM 27-01 weighed about 19 grams and later editions are lighter still. The RM 35 series is light but not in the same class.
Request a Richard Mille Nadal sourcing quote
Tell us the reference, case material and colour, condition and set requirements, plus your budget and timing, through our sourcing enquiry form. We confirm the specific watch, photographs, papers and final price before you commit. Catalogue entries: RM 35-03 Carbon TPT, RM 35-02 Carbon TPT, RM 035 Baby Nadal, RM 27-04; browse the Richard Mille collection, the watches over US$50,000 collection, or sell or trade your Richard Mille.
Related reading: Richard Mille price guide · Watch nicknames explained · Audemars Piguet price guide · Patek Philippe price guide.
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