Million-dollar watches: Why are Richard Mille timepieces so expensive?

Tennis player Rafael Nadal has worn several iterations of the RM 027 while Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh created the RM 051 and RM 51-01 Tourbillon. PHOTOS: RICHARD MILLE
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

SINGAPORE – In June 2022, Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal won the French Open for the 14th time, defeating Norwegian tennis player Casper Ruud in straight sets. He did it while wearing a Richard Mille watch – the RM27-04, which costs more than US$1 million (S$1.37 million).

It is not the first Richard Mille he has worn at the event. He first did it in 2010, wearing an RM 027. Weighing a mere 20g – including the strap – it cost about US$525,000 and was the lightest watch produced at the time.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.