The Richard Mille RM 055 | family history
Twenty grams for a complete mechanical watch. The RM 055 Bubba Watson is one of the lightest mechanical watches in existence, and the weight reduction is structural rather than cosmetic: NTPT carbon case, skeletonized movement, titanium components throughout. The simplicity relative to RM's complication-heavy catalog is its own distinction.
The ultra-light NTPT carbon skeletonized manual-wind, created with golfer Bubba Watson. Richard Mille's sport-watch archetype distilled.
2011-present · The RM 055 Bubba Watson and weight reduction
Richard Mille created the RM 055 with golfer Bubba Watson as a watch that could be worn during play without affecting the golf swing. The brief was extreme weight reduction without sacrificing the movement's visibility and the brand's structural complexity. The NTPT carbon case, titanium movement baseplate, and skeletonized architecture bring total weight to approximately 20 grams. For reference, a stainless steel Rolex Submariner weighs approximately 135 grams on its bracelet. The RM 055 does not wear like a mechanical watch in the conventional sense.
How to read this family
Two questions for RM 055 buyers:
- Is 20 grams genuinely noticeable on the wrist? Yes, and dramatically so on first wear. The absence of wrist weight is the defining sensory experience of the RM 055. Some wearers find it disconcerting; others find it addictive. It is unlike any other watch-wearing experience regardless of your opinion of the design.
- Why is the RM 055 considered one of RM's "simpler" references? The RM 055 is a manual-wind time-only watch with a power reserve indicator. Compared to the flyback chronographs, annual calendars, tourbillons, and split-second complications in the rest of the RM catalog, the RM 055 is stripped down. That relative simplicity means more of the case real estate communicates the material engineering rather than complication architecture.
Related families: Richard Mille RM 11 · Richard Mille RM 27
References in this family
Which ref to buy
The RM 055 is one of RM's simplest references -- no chronograph, no calendar, just hours and minutes in an open skeletonized movement. It is marketed as the most accessible Richard Mille, which at six figures still requires explanation.
- 1Openr-rm-055Pass
RM 055 -- the entry Richard Mille, hours and minutes only, still six figures, the purest RM for buyers who want the case technology without complication.
- The case for it:
- The RM 055 puts RM's case technology -- NTPT carbon, titanium components, shock-resistant movement mounting -- at the center without complication distraction. If you are buying Richard Mille for the materials engineering and brand identity, this is the most focused version.
- Consider instead if:
- A six-figure watch with only hours and minutes and no horological complexity is a brand purchase, not a watch purchase. The RM 055 is justifiable as a lifestyle object; it is not justifiable on watchmaking grounds.
Rankings last reviewed 2026-06-07. Editorial perspective only. Not financial advice.