Richard Mille - Richard Mille RM038 Tourbillon Bubba Watson

Richard Mille RM038 Tourbillon Bubba Watson

Gerry “Bubba” Watson is a 35 year-old American professional golfer and Richard Mille Ambassador. The RM038 was released in 2011 and is a manual wind tourbillon with a power reserve of 48h a variable inertia free-sprung balance to assist with shock resistance. The baseplate and bridges are made of very rigid titanium allowing an open architecture but supporting the tourbillon. It produces a very 3-dimensional watch on the wrist which is helped by a sapphire crystal with anti-glare coating on both sides.

The case measures 48mm x 39.7mm x 12.8mm and is made from a light but strong magnesium alloy (89% magnesium with 6% yttrium and 5% rare earths) coated using an electro-plasma oxidation process which makes the material both hard and scratch resistant.

For a sports watch the movement is quite finely finished. Steel parts are anglaged by hand and the base plates have a blasted finish.

Wikipedia tells me that Bubba has one of the longest drives on the PGA Tour (average 320m). I am not a golfer but I have heard several horror stories of mechanical watches being damaged by a golf swing, so I can only imagine the forces that go through a delicate tourbillon escapement. The RM038, following on from the Nadal RM027 tourbillon, is the perfect advertisement for Richard’s approach to watchmaking with innovative and functional materials; substance over marketing fluff.

The finish on the case has a soft comfortable feel and is not at all metallic. White is still the ‘in’ colour for cars and on a white rubber strap the watch looks cool and ultra-modern.

Bubba is actually a left-handed golfer but notably wears his RM on his left wrist …

Photos taken at the Geneva Richard Mille Boutique. Drop in and have a chat with Rob who loves to talk horology and Richard Mille.

Andrew

💰228 Marketplace Listings for Richard Mille›Richard Mille RM038 · 1 for sale · 90 discussions›

Beautiful Pictures

By: colton_d : March 12th, 2014-05:09

Thank you for this, good to know there are still a few RM038's out there.. leaves me hope that one will be mine someday. I feel very strongly about this RM, and although my dream would be to secure one of the Victory watch LE Rm038's having been there to ...

This sounds like one of the occasions when ...

By: AndrewD : March 12th, 2014-05:30

... owning the watch of a sporting ambassador of the brand would add a lot of value for you. Often times an eponymous watch is a distraction, at least for me - I might like the watch design, but I feel no affiliation for the ambassador. But actually Richa...

thanks!!!!! nice work, wonderful piece!!! great player... :) [nt]

By: gensiulia : March 12th, 2014-06:46

Your last wristshot

By: Ares501 - Mr Green : March 13th, 2014-05:49

perfectly captured the architecture of a watch dear Andrew RM plays in his own league and it plays well To tell you the truth without any bad or side thoughts that'll be perfect watch that I would like my wife to wear only if she would wear watch and I'll...

Richard Mille already make some fantastic ladies watches ...

By: AndrewD : March 14th, 2014-14:19

... in the RM07 range, but I agree that this all white über watch would look fantastic on a ladies wrist. In fact it would probably be love at first sight! ;-) Pleased you enjoyed the pictures. Regards Andrew PS. Does your wife really not wear a watch at ...

Nobody's perfect

By: Ares501 - Mr Green : March 14th, 2014-14:48

even not my wife :) Something I must live with I tried several times but no luck so I have one last explanation there is out there that timepiece that will make switch either I didn't showed her that piece or it isn't produced yet but it will be one day S...

Great photos of a great watch.

By: 219 : March 15th, 2014-05:01

Unjustifiably not as popular as the RM027 variants - in my book - the watch was specifically designed with the golf swing in mind. See enclosed: Thanks for sharing - and you are correct about Rob! Andrew H