After the success of the Richard Mille Limited Edition RM 038 Golfer’s Tourbillon released in 2011, Richard Mille has undertaken the development of yet another specific tourbillon watch for Bubba Watson with added functionality to complement his powerful drives on the course. The result is the RM 38-01 Tourbillon G-Sensor Bubba Watson, a timepiece that combines a patented G-sensor with a tourbillon mechanism, thus providing new insights for golfers during their game. The mechanical G-sensor, a Richard Mille world first containing more than 50 moving parts within a mere 17mm, allows the user to see the accumulated motion of their swing in G’s. The sensor, placed under 12 o’clock, is able to record the force generated by a golfer’s swing, specifically during the last segment. Now, this new watch is not the watch that Bubba Watson was wearing while playing The Masters this weekend and while winning his second green jacket at this tournament. Instead, Bubba was wearing the Richard Mille RM038 released in 2011.
In reality this means that the RM 38-01 can record up to 20-G’s of acceleration, a very important insight for golfers such as Bubba Watson, renowned for his ability to hit a ball at more than 310 kilometers per hour. Resetting the sensor back to zero for the following swing is done by simply pressing the aerodynamically formed pusher at 9:00 once.
The G-sensor mechanism is integrated into the heart of a manual winding tourbillon movement calibre RM38-01 which provides a 48-hour power reserve when fully wound while beating at a frequency of 21,600 vph. The movement is a technological marvel with its highly skeletonized, asymmetrical flying bridges and plates machined from grade 5 titanium with PVD treatment. The display case back allows for full view of the movement that almost resembles the grooves on the sweet spot of a golf clubface.
On looking at the RM 38-01 Bubba Watson, one’s attention is immediately drawn to the unique green case —Bubba’s favorite color— which upon closer examination again demonstrates the mastery and insight of Richard Mille in the revolutionary application of industrial materials for 21st century watchmaking. Additionally, the watch also features a crown cap with the unmistakeable dimples and glossy finish of a golf ball.
The front and back bezels of the tripartite case measuring 42.70 x 49.94 x 16.15 mm are created in TZP-G, a ceramic class of material based on microscopic tubes of alumina oxide powder injected with green colorant at a pressure of 2,000 bars. This is followed by a long and difficult machining and grinding process with diamond tooling in order to obtain the exact complex curves and arcs typical of Richard Mille’s designs. The result is a material that offers 20-30% more stiffness in comparison to traditional ceramics. These qualities make this the ideal material for a bezel that is commonly highly exposed to impact. In the last stage, the material is then delicately worked in order to create an attractive matte surface finish and further complemented with a central caseband in grade 5 titanium molded with white rubber, thus providing comfort and lightness for the user under all conditions. The tripartite case is water resistant to 50 meters, ensured by two Nitril O-ring seals and it is assembled using 20 grade 5 titanium spline screws and abrasion-resistant washers in 316L stainless steel.
Released in an edition of 50 pieces worldwide, the RM 38-01 Tourbillon G-sensor Bubba Watson provides all golfers with new insights about the strength of their swing and thus allows them to better adapt the power of their technique accordingly to the playing requirements of each course they compete on. It represents the perfect synthesis of haute horlogerie with 21st century innovation, comfort and usefulness for today’s golf enthusiasts worldwide.
Sticker Price $820,000 USD. For more info on Richard Mille click here.
