Taking things to the extreme seems to be a mantra at Richard Mille. The brand is perhaps most famous for outrageous price tags, but the engineering behind their pieces is equally impressive. Take the RM 67-02 for example. Made with high-tech ultra-light materials, this is an automatic watch that, including the strap, weighs a scant 32g! As a result, the RM 67-02 has become the timepiece of choice for many top athletes. One of the newest athletes to become associated with the RM 67-02 is rising tennis hotshot Alexander Zverev and this is his very own Richard Mille RM 67-02.
Having only turned 21 just last month, Zverev is considered one of the hottest prospects in tennis and is currently ranked third in the world, behind Rafael Nadal (another Richard Mille ambassador) and Roger Federer. Already a friend of the brand, Zverev has been spotted wearing the RM 27-01 on a couple of occasions.
Zverev’s RM 67-02 doesn’t stray too far from the formula laid out by the earlier RM 67-02 Sprint and High Jump watches that were created for Wayde van Niekerk and Mutaz Essa Barshim respectively. Like its predecessors, the RM 67-02 Alexander Zverev watch has a grade 5 titanium dial decorated in the colors of the German flag (Zverev is German) and features a dark slate case coupled with a bright red strap. Water resistance is just 30m.
The 38.7mm wide case is made out of ultra-light, strong carbon quartz TPT and the screws used to secure the case are grade 5 titanium. To keep the weight down to the absolute minimum even the bridges used for the movement within (the self-winding caliber CRMA7) are made out of carbon quartz TPT and titanium. The rotor is carbon quartz TPT but lined with white gold to ensure winding effectiveness.
As befits a watch of its price, the movement is extensively finished with hand-beveled bridges, hand-polished jewel sinks, satin-finished surfaces, rhodium-plating, circular finishing on the wheels, DLC treatment for the base plate and bridges, and more. The CRMA7 beats at 4Hz and has a power reserve of about 50 hours.
Special attention was given to the strap as it is typically the heaviest component. Here, the RM 67-02 Alexander Zverev is fitted with Richard Mille’s specially designed Comfort Strap, an elastic strap that requires no buckle for closure. Apart from being light, it was designed to be breathable and also comfortable on the skin. An important consideration was that the strap must be secure, as the watch is subjected to high forces during Zverev’s games.
I guess it won’t be a stretch to say that the RM 67-02 Alexander Zverev is as close as one can get to having a mechanical version of a G-Shock. As part of the deal with Richard Mille, Zverev will actually wear this watch during matches where it will be put to the ultimate test. It is also a testament to the comfort of the watch. The Richard Mille RM 67-02 Alexander Zverev is priced at £103,500. richardmille.com
