How to Spot Wealthy People: Wearing a Richard Mille Watch

Rafael Nadal, the famous tennis player, is one of the few celebrities who have collaborated multiple times with this luxurious Swiss watch brand. Photo: Richard Mille.

Not everyone who is rich wears Richard Mille watches. But those who have spent their money to own and wear accessories from this brand certainly have considerable wealth.

The RM 52-05 Tourbillon Pharrell Williams is limited to only 30 pieces. Photo: Richard Mille.

The Symbol of Status

Just one glance is enough to recognize a Richard Mille watch in a crowd.

Most of the designs have a barrel-shaped case and a skeleton dial, revealing the complex movement inside through a transparent glass.

Although it’s only been around for 22 years, this young Swiss brand is already among the top 6 best-selling watch brands in the world, with a 15% increase in revenue, reaching $1.5 billion in 2022, despite producing only around 5,300 watches per year with an average price of $250,000 per watch, according to Bloomberg.

So what has made Richard Mille become a status symbol? It’s the vision of its founders. In addition to the innovative designs, they proactively create scarcity and push up the prices of their products.

In 2001, inspired by F1 racing cars and supercars, Richard Mille and co-founder Dominique Guenat launched their first watch, the RM 001 Tourbillon, with only 13 pieces worldwide.

Immediately, this accessory stunned connoisseurs, as each piece was sold for $135,000. This price was even higher than many Patek Philippe models at that time, a brand known as the “Rolls-Royce of watches”.

Aurora Straus, the only professional female sports car racer in North America, has partnered with Richard Mille since 2018. Photo: Richard Mille.

A Luxury Lifestyle

Naturally, the sky-high prices must be accompanied by extremely high-quality products.

So far, the brand has continued to focus on durability, functionality, and inside-out design, as well as continuous improvement in materials and movements.

The brand often releases unique product lines, limited editions, and collaborations with various famous celebrities from different fields, as well as participating in major sports events.

What sets Richard Mille apart is not only its high-end watches, but also the luxury lifestyle that the brand represents.

It spares no expense to provide its customers with exclusive experiences and events, such as the Richard Mille Cup classic boat race, the Le Mans Classic vintage car event, or the Rallye des Princesses, an annual sports motorcycle event for female collectors.