Rafa Nadal's $690,000 Watch Is Part Of His Game Now

Power,precision,timing -- all the qualities a tennis star needs to be successful on court.

And that's what World No. 2 Rafael Nadal has -- right on his wrist as he plays in the U.S. Open this week.

Nadal is one of the most obsessive, ritual-oriented players on the tour. From the placement of his two water bottles, to tying his shoes and wiping off the sweat from his face (always nose first, left ear, nose again then right ear), he is a man who relies on routine to win.

So when a little-known watchmaker asked if Nadal might consider wearing a watch during his matches, the answer was simple.

"I said no way," said Carlos Costa, Nadal's manager. "I know Rafa, and ... he's complicated."

In the year that followed, however, Nadal and the watchmaker Richard Mille worked together to create a superlight, hyper-engineered watch that the Spanish player could wear during his matches.

After selling out of the first Nadal watch, priced at $525,000 and launched in 2010, Mille and Nadal this year launched a second watch. It's called the RM027. The price: a whopping $690,000.

Mille doesn't disclose sales, but said "interest has been very strong" from clients. As for Nadal, he not only wears the $690,000 watch during every match but says he can't imagine playing without it.

"I don't feel the watch," he said, strapping it on before practice at the U.S. Open in New York on Tuesday. "It's very light and when I don't wear the watch, I feel like something is not working."

Of course, plenty of tennis stars have watch endorsements. Roger Federer has a deal with Rolex. Maria Sharapova helps sell TAG Heuer. But neither wear their watches on court.

But for Nadal, the RM027 watch has been on his right wrist for every match during what is shaping up to be one of his best years ever. If he wins the U.S. Open, he would become No. 1 in the world, with more than 50 wins this year and only three losses.

In 2010, Nadal's team and Mille spent more than a year developing the watch so that it would be light enough and strong enough for Nadal to wear while playing, Costa said. The result was the Tourbillon RM027, Mille's first "Nadal timepiece."

"It took about 12 to 15 months ... but Richard made it and it's unbelievable," Costa said.

I won't feel the weight of any $690,000 watch on my wrist while doing anything too. : )

Will you feel the weight of the watch on yours?