The Richard Mille RM 38-02 Tourbillon Bubba Watson is a luxury watch that combines cutting-edge materials and technology with a stylish, sporty design. Developed in collaboration with professional golfer Bubba Watson, this timepiece is the third tourbillon calibre developed by the brand and the fourth Bubba Watson timepiece in total.
The RM 38-02 is inspired by Watson’s lucky color, which is why it features a striking white and pink color scheme. The watch is available in a limited edition of 50 pieces, making it a rare and exclusive timepiece that is sure to appeal to collectors and fans of both Richard Mille and Bubba Watson.
One of the key features of the RM 38-02 is its durability and ability to withstand the stresses of hard stops and drastic accelerations. This is especially important for a watch worn by a professional athlete like Watson, who puts his gear through intense workouts and competitions. To ensure that the RM 38-02 can handle these demands, the watch is built around a baseplate made of Carbon TPT, a material that is renowned for its excellent resistance to micro-cracks and splits.
Carbon TPT consists of multiple layers of parallel carbon filaments that are saturated with resin and then subjected to heat and pressure. This process results in a material that is extremely hard and durable, yet also lightweight and flexible. The baseplate is then machined at Richard Mille’s parts factory to create the skeletonized structure that is a key design element of the RM 38-02. 
The bezel and case back of the RM 38-02 are made of Quartz TPT, a material that is exclusive to Richard Mille in the watchmaking industry. This material consists of multiple layers of parallel silica threads that are saturated in a pink matrix and then woven on a dedicated machine that modifies the direction of the fibers between each layer. The result is a unique and striking appearance that is characterized by extremely regular yet totally unique striations.
The caseband of the RM 38-02 combines Carbon TPT and Quartz TPT layers, resulting in a unique and stylish look that is both sporty and sophisticated. The case itself is shaped in a tripartite design that prevents the torque limiting crown from rubbing against the wearer’s wrist, making the watch comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The case is also water resistant to 50 meters, thanks to the use of Nitrile O-ring seals and 20 grade 5 titanium spline screws with abrasion-resistant washers in 316L stainless steel.
In addition to its stylish and durable design, the RM 38-02 is powered by a manual winding movement that has a 70-hour power reserve. This movement is designed to be reliable and accurate, and it is subjected to a full battery of extreme tests to ensure that it meets the high standards of performance and quality that are expected from a luxury watch.
One of the standout features of the RM 38-02 is its ability to withstand shocks of up to 10,000 Gs. This is an impressive feat considering that a golf ball can undergo accelerations of up to 50,000 Gs. To achieve this level of shock resistance, the engineers at Richard Mille paid particular attention to the size of the mechanism,
ensuring that it was both strong enough to withstand the shocks and compact enough to fit inside a watch that is only 9.19 mm thick.
In addition to its shock resistance, the RM 38-02 also boasts excellent reliability during movement assembly or disassembly, thanks to the use of ceramic ball bearings that reduce friction and wear.
Contact one of our advisors today if you are interested in acquiring the RM38-02.
