Watch Paparazzi

Royal Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi spotted wearing Richard Mille

During a bike workout, Prince Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi of the Emirate of Ajman was photographed on the wrist with the Richard Mille RM 72-01 Automatic Flyback Chronograph in titanium — a watch that is far more than a status symbol in his case, given the athletic context of the sighting. The choice is deliberate: the RM 72-01 was engineered to be worn hard, and royalty doing cardio in a six-figure timepiece is precisely the narrative Richard Mille has always cultivated.

The RM 72-01 represents a genuine technical milestone for Richard Mille. Introduced in 2021, it is the manufacture's first entirely in-house automatic chronograph, powered by the CRMA7 caliber — a skeletonised, self-winding movement with bidirectional rotor winding and a column-wheel flyback chronograph mechanism. The complication set is comprehensive: hours, minutes, small seconds at 9 o'clock, date, flyback chronograph, function indicator, and stop-seconds for precise synchronisation. The grade-5 titanium case retains the brand's signature tonneau architecture, pairing low density with high tensile strength — ideal for physical activity.

For collectors, the RM 72-01 carries particular weight because in-house manufacture has historically been Richard Mille's most credible counter to critics who questioned the brand's watchmaking depth. Earlier iconic references such as the RM 011 relied on modified Vaucher or A. Piguet ebauches. The CRMA7 changes that conversation entirely, placing the RM 72-01 at the top of the brand's horological hierarchy and making it a reference collectors reference when discussing the maison's evolution.

Prince Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi has long been associated with sport and an active lifestyle — a profile that aligns perfectly with Richard Mille's ambassador strategy, which has historically targeted athletes and high-performance personalities. Wearing the RM 72-01 during physical training rather than a formal occasion is a credible, unselfconscious choice that says as much about his relationship with the watch as it does about the piece itself.

At an official retail price of $187,750, the Richard Mille RM 72-01 Automatic Flyback Chronograph in titanium sits at the lower end of the RM price spectrum but commands strong secondary market premiums given its landmark caliber status. Grey-market values have tracked above retail since launch, reflecting sustained demand and limited allocation through the brand's tightly controlled boutique network.