Letter from the Publisher

How many watches do you want to sell in the
future?
I’m not obsessed by sales volume. In 2011, I hope to
reach around 2,800, and in due course 4,000 to 5,000
per year. These figures correspond to the realities of
the market and to industrial reliability. If we did produce
more, I would have to enter into the commercial
aspects of the business, and I'm not at all interested
in doing that. I am currently working within a system
that enables me to create what I want to and to work,
in a way, according to my “whims”—which is something
you can do when you’re dealing with small quantities.
How do you intervene in the creative process?
At full throttle! It’s a matter of teamwork, with a long and
difficult process of development. Before everything else,
it begins with the concept, which is a major element for
me. It then becomes a set of technical specifications, with
the sketch serving as a blueprint. The Nadal is a perfect
example of this process.
below
Two snakes, each encrusted with precious gems,
hold the tourbillon in place on the technically impressive
RM 026 tourbillon.
• 148 Grand Complications, Vol. VII
Why did you create the world’s lightest watch for
him, weighing less than 20 grams including the
strap?
Because to begin with, he didn’t want to wear a watch
during matches, and for me, that was an essential
prerequisite for working with him. So in order to persuade
him, I told him I would make a watch especially for him.
And was he easily convinced?
The day I went to see him in Palma with the prototype,
I had in my pocket an RM 012 in platinum, which had
just been repaired. It must have weighed at least 300
grams. Rafael was very impatient, because he loves
watches. I took out the RM 012 and I explained that this
watch was the result of a huge effort in terms of its weight.
He put it on his wrist and moved around with it for a few
minutes, and then said: “But Ricardo, I’ll never be able to
play with that!” As he was recovering from an injury, I told
him he was underestimating himself, that his muscles had
melted away and that he simply wasn’t in top form.
So did you end up giving him the actual watch?
Of course! He immediately took a racket to hit a few
balls with the RM 027. It is so light that in the beginning,
when he wiped his forehead with his wristband, he hurt
himself because he forgot he was wearing a watch. Today,
the RM 027 is like a second skin for him, and the “graft”
has taken beyond my wildest expectations.
You’ve managed to find a gem of an ambassador…
I don’t like the term “ambassador.” What I want is to
have my products worn in real-life conditions. If it’s a
sports watch, it must be able to play sports! Rafael Nadal
is above all a crash tester. He broke five RM 027 watches
before we achieved a perfect result. The same goes
for Felipe Massa: he is the only Formula 1 racing driver
to wear a watch during Grand Prix races, and it’s obviously
not so that he can read the time on it! On the other hand,
we obtain a lot of information from our athletic partners,
which helps us to constantly improve our products, and
that is where communication is key.