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Lot Essay
As a major highlight of the Kronos Collection, Richard Mille enthusiasts and collectors worldwide will immediately recognise the importance of this exceptional ‘Bubba Watson’ RM 38-01 TI-FQ white quartz carbon TPT® and titanium tourbillon wristwatch with G-Sensor. Introduced as the second development of the RM 038 model, it was made in a limited edition of 50 pieces. To the best of our knowledge, the present watch is the first of its kind to be offered at international auction.
Richard Mille has collaborated with the greatest global sports personalities since the inception of the brand. Whether it be Formula 1, or tennis, Mille’s watches have always been specifically developed and designed for real world use in some of the most challenging and extreme conditions that a wristwatch is ever likely to encounter. For the first golfer’s tourbillon, the RM 038, Mille’s designers and watchmaker’s faced as great a challenge as any they had succeeded in solving before, this time the brief was to create a timepiece that could be worn whilst playing golf. The natural partner for the development and testing of the new model was Gerry Lester ‘Bubba’ Watson Jr., better known simply as “Bubba Watson”, American pro-golfer, World number 2 in 2015, and twice Masters Tournament winner. Most importantly for Richard Mille, ‘Bubba’ Watson preferred and enjoyed wearing a wristwatch during play. Watson is one of the few left-handed professional golfers and is notable for being one of the longest drivers, with an average drive of 315.2 yards (288.2 m), he could hit a ball over 350 yards (320 m) and up to 194 mph (312 km/h), finishing top of the driving distance statistics five times. To design and construct a tourbillon wristwatch for such a high-profile golfing champion that could withstand the incredible G-force and shock created by such a powerful golf swing, some hundred times greater than a tennis swing, was very exciting for Richard Mille, such a watch would require three distinct qualities: lightness, extreme shock resistance and comfort. Richard Mille as always, rose to the challenge magnificently, and in 2011, the inaugural RM 038 was created especially for Bubba Watson to wear during tournament play. A limited edition of 38 pieces was released featuring a magnesium case and a manual-winding tourbillon movement. The RM 038 was famously worn by Watson during his first Masters win. In 2012 Bubba Watson joined sportsmen Rafael Nadal and Felipe Massa as an ambassador for Richard Mille.
The success of the RM 038 inspired further development leading to the present watch, the RM 38-01, which represented the most significant development of the model to provide additional functionality. Made in a limited edition of 50 pieces, it included a new and fascinating patented mechanical ‘G-Sensor’. Positioned at 12 o'clock, this world-first mechanism is designed to visually record and display the accumulation of G-forces generated during a golf swing. The RM 38-01 can record up to 20-G’s of acceleration, providing 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. A dedicated pusher at the 9 o'clock position on the case allows the wearer to reset the sensor back to zero. The case, instead of the magnesium case of the RM 038 is constructed from Quartz TPT® and Titanium for their extreme lightweight qualities, the distinctive layered appearance of the case is derived from this Quartz TPT (Thin Ply Technology), a relatively new and groundbreaking ultra-lightweight material that was developed by Richard Mille for use in watchmaking. Called TPT® (thin ply technology) quartz carbon, it was first used in Richard Mille’s RM27-02. Its strength and incredible lightness is unparalleled and comprised of hundreds of layers of quartz that are interspersed with layers of NTPT carbon. The layers are then fused together at 120 degrees Celsius to form a case that is almost indestructible. Also resistant to extremes of temperature and magnetism, it is near perfect for sports watches. To allow Watson to confidently play golf with the watch on his wrist, the baseplate and asymmetric flying bridges of the RM38-01 calibre movement are crafted from grade 5 titanium with a black PVD treatment. This ensures complete structural rigidity that can withstand even the most violent of wrist movements.
Almost impossible to obtain, few Richard Mille enthusiasts have ever seen the RM 38-01 ‘Bubba Watson’ in person. The present example offers collectors the unprecedented opportunity to own an example of this super-rare Richard Mille model without delay.
Richard Mille has collaborated with the greatest global sports personalities since the inception of the brand. Whether it be Formula 1, or tennis, Mille’s watches have always been specifically developed and designed for real world use in some of the most challenging and extreme conditions that a wristwatch is ever likely to encounter. For the first golfer’s tourbillon, the RM 038, Mille’s designers and watchmaker’s faced as great a challenge as any they had succeeded in solving before, this time the brief was to create a timepiece that could be worn whilst playing golf. The natural partner for the development and testing of the new model was Gerry Lester ‘Bubba’ Watson Jr., better known simply as “Bubba Watson”, American pro-golfer, World number 2 in 2015, and twice Masters Tournament winner. Most importantly for Richard Mille, ‘Bubba’ Watson preferred and enjoyed wearing a wristwatch during play. Watson is one of the few left-handed professional golfers and is notable for being one of the longest drivers, with an average drive of 315.2 yards (288.2 m), he could hit a ball over 350 yards (320 m) and up to 194 mph (312 km/h), finishing top of the driving distance statistics five times. To design and construct a tourbillon wristwatch for such a high-profile golfing champion that could withstand the incredible G-force and shock created by such a powerful golf swing, some hundred times greater than a tennis swing, was very exciting for Richard Mille, such a watch would require three distinct qualities: lightness, extreme shock resistance and comfort. Richard Mille as always, rose to the challenge magnificently, and in 2011, the inaugural RM 038 was created especially for Bubba Watson to wear during tournament play. A limited edition of 38 pieces was released featuring a magnesium case and a manual-winding tourbillon movement. The RM 038 was famously worn by Watson during his first Masters win. In 2012 Bubba Watson joined sportsmen Rafael Nadal and Felipe Massa as an ambassador for Richard Mille.
The success of the RM 038 inspired further development leading to the present watch, the RM 38-01, which represented the most significant development of the model to provide additional functionality. Made in a limited edition of 50 pieces, it included a new and fascinating patented mechanical ‘G-Sensor’. Positioned at 12 o'clock, this world-first mechanism is designed to visually record and display the accumulation of G-forces generated during a golf swing. The RM 38-01 can record up to 20-G’s of acceleration, providing 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. A dedicated pusher at the 9 o'clock position on the case allows the wearer to reset the sensor back to zero. The case, instead of the magnesium case of the RM 038 is constructed from Quartz TPT® and Titanium for their extreme lightweight qualities, the distinctive layered appearance of the case is derived from this Quartz TPT (Thin Ply Technology), a relatively new and groundbreaking ultra-lightweight material that was developed by Richard Mille for use in watchmaking. Called TPT® (thin ply technology) quartz carbon, it was first used in Richard Mille’s RM27-02. Its strength and incredible lightness is unparalleled and comprised of hundreds of layers of quartz that are interspersed with layers of NTPT carbon. The layers are then fused together at 120 degrees Celsius to form a case that is almost indestructible. Also resistant to extremes of temperature and magnetism, it is near perfect for sports watches. To allow Watson to confidently play golf with the watch on his wrist, the baseplate and asymmetric flying bridges of the RM38-01 calibre movement are crafted from grade 5 titanium with a black PVD treatment. This ensures complete structural rigidity that can withstand even the most violent of wrist movements.
Almost impossible to obtain, few Richard Mille enthusiasts have ever seen the RM 38-01 ‘Bubba Watson’ in person. The present example offers collectors the unprecedented opportunity to own an example of this super-rare Richard Mille model without delay.