Watch Paparazzi

Singer Pharrell William spotted wearing Richard Mille

Pharrell Williams has never been a passive accessory wearer, and his latest sighting confirms as much. The Grammy-winning artist and Pharrell-turned-Louis Vuitton Men's Creative Director was photographed wearing a Richard Mille RM 35-01, distinguished by a custom strap swap that signals the kind of ownership comfort reserved for serious collectors rather than brand-new buyers.

The Richard Mille RM 35-01 — formally designated the RM 35-01 Rafael Nadal — launched as a direct evolution of the RM 035, retaining the brand's signature skeletonized architecture while introducing the proprietary RMAL1 alloy baseplate. That material, a lithium-aluminium compound developed originally for aerospace applications, contributes to a total movement weight of under 5 grams. The calibre RMAL1 manual-winding movement offers a 55-hour power reserve and operates at 28,800 vph, housed within a tonneau case measuring 50.07 × 42.70 mm. The case itself layers Carbon TPT — Richard Mille's filament-wound carbon composite — with titanium and elastomer bumpers that absorb shock laterally and axially. It was engineered to function at peak performance on a tennis court; on a wrist at a Paris fashion show or a recording session, it is, frankly, overqualified.

Among collectors, the RM 35-01 occupies a sweet spot within Richard Mille's catalogue. It is not the most limited nor the most complicated reference the brand produces, but it represents the marque's core philosophy without compromise: extreme material science, motorsport-derived engineering logic, and zero decorative conceit. The skeletonized dial offers an unobstructed view of the movement's architecture, and the variable geometry rotor system gives the piece tactile credibility that justifies its position in any serious collection.

Pharrell's relationship with high horology is well documented. He has worn Rolex, AP, and various Richard Mille references over the years, often personalizing pieces — the custom strap here is characteristic. For Williams, a watch is an extension of creative identity, not simply a status marker.

At UK retail, the RM 35-01 carries an RRP of approximately £85,000. On the grey market, demand for Carbon TPT Richard Mille sports references remains firm, with the RM 35-01 typically trading at a meaningful premium to retail, reflecting both constrained allocation and sustained celebrity-driven visibility — Pharrell's sighting doing nothing to cool that interest.