This year, Revolution turns 20. Two decades of chronicling watches, people and ideas have given us a front-row seat to a remarkable story: how an age-old craft has both preserved its soul and reinvented itself for the 21st century. To celebrate, we’ve chosen over 100 names and milestones that, for us, define the era so far. From leaders to watches, you can see the whole list here.

When it arrived courtside in 2010, the RM 027 was less a timepiece than a manifesto: haute horology for the hardest hitters. It was housed in a highly spec-ed case crafted out of carbon nanofiber, the same as Mille had used in RM 006 for Felipe Massa, and top-grade Plexiglas in place of a sapphire crystal, which would have been too heavy. The back bezel and caseband are monobloc to ensure ultra lightness, and its manual winding Caliber RM 027 was crafted with high-tech materials such as LITAL, which Mille had relied on in RM 009. A high-performance lithium-aluminum alloy, LITAL was developed for the aerospace industry and used in the construction of the Airbus A380, rockets, Formula 1 racing cars and such.

Richard Mille RM 027 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal

Including its ultra light polycarbonate strap, the RM 027 was the world’s lightest mechanical watch at launch. It was a featherlight 20 grams, probably the reason why Rafael Nadal called it his “second skin” and wore it everywhere, on court and off court. And he won everywhere — Roland Garros, Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows. The fact that the RM 027 came with a tourbillon connected to the case via skeletonized bridges simply added to the shock value, pardon the pun.

Rafael Nadal celebrating a point during the match. On his wrist is the RM 027 created for him (Image: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

But ultimately, the RM 027 made our list because it is more than the sum of its high-tech specifications and incredible technical innovations. With the RM 027, Richard Mille rewrote the playbook for haute horology and took it from courtside to center court. He proved, without any lingering doubt, that his half-a-million-dollar, high performance watches are meant for live action and withstanding all the vagaries that entails — no coddling required. It was one thing to invest thousands of hours in material R&D, put the watch through rigorous tests and say it was incredible. Richard Mille showed just how incredible — Nadal wore the RM 027 as he unleashed his two-handed backhand and legendary forehand, and faced down the world’s best players in front of live audiences, TV cameras and international press. The RM 027 Rafael Nadal was the real deal.

The baseplate of the RM 027 Tourbillon is made from Titanium and LITAL® alloy, a high lithium content alloy containing aluminum, copper, magnesium and zirconium, possessing a density of 2.55

The subsequent iterations each upped the ante. RM 27-01 came with a suspended movement, strung by 0.35mm thick steel and capable of absorbing shocks up to 5,000g. RM 27-02 introduced RM’s unibody architecture, where the case and baseplate are one, inspired by a racecar chassis. RM 27-03 was bold and red, with shock resistance tested to 10,000g, the highest of any tourbillon watch at that time. RM 27-04 improved on the suspension design of RM 27-01 with its micro-mesh steel cable system inspired by the strings on a tennis racket. Finally, there is the RM 27-05 released in May last year to cap the series. It is powered by the ultra thin RM UP-01 and features a flying tourbillon suspended without an upper bridge. At 11.5 grams without strap, thanks to bold material innovations, it remains the brand’s lightest mechanical watch.

As for Nadal, he won 16 Grand Slam titles from 2010 till 2024, when he retired. And he rocked his RM 027s throughout.

Tech Specs: Richard Mille RM 027 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal

Movement: Manual winding Caliber RM 027; 48-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes and tourbillon
Case: 48mm × 39.70mm × 11.85mm; carbon composite; water resistant to 50m
Dial: Skeletonized, flange with luminescent indexes
Strap: Ultra light, flexible polycarbonate