Designed exclusively for the world-famous golfer Bubba Watson, Richard Mille RM 38-01 is pushing boundaries in the category of exotic watches.
Richard Mille is one of the brands that blends cutting-edge technology, sporty design and "Haute Horlogerie" concepts in the best possible way. This high success should also be reflected in sales as every new model with six-digit price tags is almost plundered among the rich.
The brand is often mentioned with its support for the most successful athletes in the world as well. Richard Mille’s collaboration with Bubba Watson is, of course, far from coincidence. Born in 1978, the US golfer is one of the few left-handed players around the world and has embraced numerous firsts in his professional career, which he started in 2003. The history of his relationship with Richard Mille dates back to the first RM 38 model introduced in 2011.
In the new RM 38-01 model, the brand has been benefited from the latest technology and materials at its utmost. The RM 38-01 is basically distinguished from the previous RM 38 by its increased thickness and a G-Sensor module attached to the movement. The new materials used in the model’s case are the other details. The system, which consists of three parts, front and back cover and middle case, is made from a combination of various materials. White Quartz TPT material was used on front and back cover. Hundreds of Quartz filaments are stacked on top of each other and molded under high pressure and temperature, and then the bezel and back cover are manufactured by cutting them on ultra-precision CNC machines. Despite their lightness, they are very robust in terms of structure. In the middle, Grade 5 Titanium, coated with a white rubber layer for protection, is used. The three-piece case, which is held together with 20 Grade 5 Titanium screws, offers water resistance up to 50 meters thanks to the interposed Nitrile gaskets. The measurements of the case are set at 42.70mm x 49.94mm x 16.15mm. The overall comfort of the watch is more than expected, thanks to the curved back cover produced in harmony with the natural shape of the wrist, even if it is slightly higher on the wrist due to the geometry of the case. Of course, the incredible light weight of the case and the elastic structure of the rubber strap are also very effective.
Richard Mille is a well-known brand with its unique Tonneau-shaped cases and crazy movements that are exclusively designed for the models as well as futuristic materials. This tradition is not broken with the RM 38-01 either. The model-specific and elatedly built Caliber RM 38-01 features a Tourbillon escapement system. The movement, where the main plate and bridges are made of PVD coated Titanium, offers a visual feast to the user with its skeleton structure. The fully-hand-crafted 21 jewels movement, measuring 32.8mm x 30.9mm x 8.4mm, operates at 21600VPH and offers a 48-hour power reserve when fully wound. There are three different functions in the caliber that are controlled by selecting modes with the help of a pusher on the winding crown instead of pulling the winding crown to different positions in conventionally designed movements. The modes that allow the time to be set and the movement to be wound are selected by pressing the golf-ball shaped pusher on the winding crown.
In addition to all these functions, the patented G-Sensor system at 12 o’clock, which measures the G force exposed to the watch, can be reset with the help of the pusher on the left side of the case. The system, which allows measurements up to 20G, proves the user that the watch may be exposed to very high levels of G-force. Considering Bubba Watson’s hits that make the golf ball go faster than 300 km per hour, we can see the we are faced with a spectacularly engineered and manufactured mechanical wonder.
Another attractive feature for Richard Mille users is that there are a myriad of colors and variations of strap options. Besides the fact that the dark green rubber strap that the RM 38-01 comes with is a great fit with the same color detail on the dial, I believe the watch would look perfect with almost any color thanks to white structure of the case. Especially with the brand’s Velcro straps, convenience and comfort can be achieved at a higher level. The strap is secured with a double-sided folding clasp, made of Titanium. The clasp, which does not have any locking mechanism, has a very useful and well-restored stance with its flat spring design.
The list price of the model, which is limited to 50, is only $ 825,000. There is also a version of the same model with a bezel and a case back made of green ceramic. Richard Mille RM 38-01; a timepiece that was reviewed by a lesser mortal but created for the immortals!
