This Is the Luxury Watch Rafael Nadal Wore When He Won His 21st Grand Slam

Words by Jianne Soriano
February 04, 2022
Tatler Asia
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 30: Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a forehand during his five set victory in his Men’s Singles Final match against Daniil Medvedev of Russia during day fourteen of the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 30, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 30: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates a point during his five set victory in his Men’s Singles Final match against Daniil Medvedev of Russia during day fourteen of the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 30, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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Cover Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a forehand during his five set victory in his Men’s Singles Final match against Daniil Medvedev of Russia during day fourteen of the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 30, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

The newly crowned 2022 Australian Open champion wore a limited-edition RM 27-04 Tourbillion from Richard Mille and has his nickname, ‘Rafa’ engraved on the case band

Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal made history when he won his 21st Grand Slam men’s singles title at the Australian Open earlier this week—the most for any male player in history.

The 35-year-old Nadal bounce back after losing two sets against world number two, Daniil Medvedev in Melbourne. After a grilling five hours and 24 minutes of match time, the Spaniard finally emerged triumphantly.

He did the historic feat while wearing a luxury watch, the RM 27-04 from Richard Mille. Nadal has been an ambassador for the brand since 2010 and the watch was released to celebrate their decade-long partnership with only 50 pieces produced.

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Tatler Asia
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 30: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates a point during his five set victory in his Men’s Singles Final match against Daniil Medvedev of Russia during day fourteen of the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 30, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Above Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates a point during his five set victory in his Men’s Singles Final match against Daniil Medvedev of Russia during day fourteen of the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 30, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Tatler Asia
Above Rafael Nadal holds the winner's trophy. Photo: Frank Molter/dpa (Photo by Frank Molter/picture alliance via Getty Images)

The RM 27-04 has a rather intricate design. It balances a lightweight design at 30 grams while its tourbillon calibre, which is suspended within the case, can resist accelerations of more than 12,000 gs—a record for Richard Mille.

The timepiece is inspired by the same principle as the strings of a tennis racquet, has an exclusive ‘TitaCarb’ case that has been strengthened to make it one of the most resistant polymers in the world.

While the new model is unique, it also fits perfectly with the previous watches specifically created for the Spanish champion. Upon its release, the watch was set to “accompany Nadal in his quest for new trophies” and it made well on its promise.

Read also: Pharrell’s US$1M Richard Mille Watch Gets Its Very Own Sculpture

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