This is the 3rd tourbillon calibre developed with Bubba Watson by Richard Mille and the fourth Bubba Watson timepiece by the brand. Inspired by the golfer’s lucky charm color, the new Richard Mille RM 38-02 Tourbillon Bubba Watson features a white and pink case and is available in a limited edition of 50 pieces. On the wrist of a very great hitter like Bubba Watson, a watch must be able to withstand the stresses of hard stops and drastic accelerations. These were all part of the considerations when designing the RM 38-02.

Inspired by the audacity of the previous calibres the new RM 38-02 Bubba Watson is built around a baseplate in Carbon TPT, which comprises many layers of parallel carbon filaments. This material, omnipresent in the RM 38-02, is very demanding in terms of machining, both because of its hardness and because of the skeletonization it is subjected to. As for the entire watch, many extensive tests were carried out on the baseplate to ensure that its skeletonization in no way affected its mechanical properties.

The baseplate is machined from Carbon TPT. This material consists of multiple layers of parallel filaments obtained by separating carbon threads. With a maximum thickness of 30 microns, the Carbon TPT layers are saturated with resin then piled onto a special machine that modifies the orientation of the fibers between each layer by 45 degrees. Once heated to 120-degree Celsius and subjected to a pressure of 6 bars, the Carbon TPT is machined at Richard Mille’s parts factory. Carbon TPT is renowned for its excellent resistance to micro-cracks and splits.

The bezel and case back are made from pink and white Quartz TPT, while the caseband combines Carbon TPT and pink Quartz TPT layers. Carbon TPT and Quartz TPT are exclusive material to the brand in watchmaking with a unique appearance. Their remarkable surface displays extremely regular yet totally unique striations, as they are composed of multiple layers of parallel filaments obtained by dividing carbon fibers or silica threads. In the case of Quartz TPT, the silica layers, no thicker than 45 microns, are saturated in a pink matrix developed specially for Richard Mille and woven on a dedicated machine that modifies the direction of the weft by 45 degrees between pink tinted and white silica layers, or between pink-tinted silica and Carbon TPT layers.

The tripartite drawn-out case shape prevents the torque limiting crown from rubbing against the wearer’s wrist. The case is water resistant to 50 meters, ensured by two Nitrile O-ring seals and assembled using 20 grade 5 titanium spline screws and abrasion-resistant washers in 316L stainless steel. The white crown insert features dimples resembling a golf ball.

The skeletonized Carbon TPT baseplate is a significant feat of machining. A master component of the RM 38-02, it was subjected to a full battery of extreme tests prior to approval in order to optimize its mechanical properties. The bridges are in PVD-treated grade 5 titanium, a biocompatible, highly corrosion-resistant and remarkably rigid alloy which enables the gear train to function effortlessly. The alloy is 90% titanium, 6% aluminium and 4% vanadium. This combination further increases the material’s mechanical properties, which explains its frequent use in the aerospace, aeronautics and automobile industries. Like the baseplate, the bridges were subjected to intensive and comprehensive testing in order to optimise their resistance properties.

Considering that a golf ball today undergoes an acceleration of up to 50,000 Gs, it was critical to ensure that the RM 38-02 could withstand shocks of no less than 10,000 Gs. These volumes are staggering at the scale of a calibre of only 9.19 mm thick. The engineers paid particular attention to its size, delivering both a strong architectural dimension, which expresses its complexity and the compactness necessary for its shock resistance.

This mechanism guarantees greater reliability when subjected to shock and also during movement assembly or disassembly, hence better chronometric results over time. The regulator index is eliminated and a more accurate and repeatable calibration is possible thanks to 4 small, adjustable screws located directly on the balance.

Sticker Price $980,000 USD. For more info on Richard Mille click here.