Over the last two decades, Richard Mille has become a status symbol amongst the rich and mighty. While luxury brands such a Rolex, Patek Phillipe and Audemars Piguet have a long heritage, Richard Mille was only founded in 2001. A key driver of the brand’s success lies in its strategic celebrity partnerships. Richard Mille have collaborated with over 50 celebrities but here are a few familiar faces they have created watches with.
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams is both a music and fashion icon. He is widely known as one of the first rappers to wear a Richard Mille. It’s only right that he would later collaborate with the brand in 2019 to create the RM 52-05 Tourbillon Pharrell Williams. The watches dial set a the scene of an astronaut standing on the surface of Mars whilst looking at Earth. Pharrell drew on his life long love for Star Trek and the cosmos to curate this watch. The watch was limited to only 30 pieces and retailed just shy of 1 million dollars at $969,000 . Currently, there are no versions of this watch available on the grey market but it would undoubtedly fetch over $1.2million.
Rafael Nadal
In 2010, Nadal was at the pinnacle of his career and became the first tennis player to win 3 glam slam titles on 3 different terrains. At the time, Richard Mille was a growing brand in their ninth year of operation, displaying promise of a bright future. Despite likely receiving sponsorship offers from other prestigious brands, Nadal took a chance with Richard Mille, a decision that would prove highly fruitful. Their first collab came in 2010 , the RM035, while their most recent collab in 2020 ,the RM 27-04, which marked the 10th year anniversary of their partnership. Over the years, the pair have created a line of nine different watches over the years. Nadal is often seen wearing a Richard Mille on the court which reflects the lightweight nature and master craftmanship of the watch.
Jackie Chan x Richard Mille
Jackie Chan, actor/director, won the hearts of viewers across the world with his peformance. In 2012, the Year of the Dragon, Richard Mille joined forces with Chan to create the RM057 timepiece. The watch features a dragon dial inspired by Chan’s Chinese name, which means “the one who will become dragon“. Two years later in 2014 they upgraded the watch, creating the RM 57 -01. This time the dial included a phoenix which represent the dichotomy between the mythical creatures, a sort of ying and yang.
Yohan Blake
Although he is often reduced to being the “second fastest man in the world” (even by Richard Mille themselves), Yohan Blake is a phenomenal athlete who has achieved feats most people can only dream of. From Olympic medals to world championships, Blake has achieved it all. Much like Nadal, Blake is often seen wearing his watch while competing, and its safe to say it has never slowed him down. They have collaborated on two separate occasions creating the RM 59-01 and the RM 61-01. Both watches incorporate Jamaican colours into the design .These timepieces are not only a reflection of Blakes physical talent but also serve a reminder of where he has come from.