Watch Paparazzi

Athlete Mutaz Essa Barshim spotted wearing Richard Mille

Mutaz Essa Barshim, the Qatari high-jump champion who shared one of sport's most memorable Olympic moments in Tokyo 2021, was recently spotted on the wrist with one of the rarest and most visually distinctive pieces Richard Mille has ever produced: the RM 16-01 Réglisse in pink and yellow TZP ceramic from the BonBon Collection, limited to just 30 examples globally.

The Richard Mille RM 16-01 is built around a manually wound skeletonised movement, the CRMA1, offering hours, minutes, and a seconds function via a dedicated pusher — a feature Richard Mille calls 'Réglisse,' a French word for liquorice, nodding directly to the candy-stripe aesthetic of the dial. The case construction is where the RM 16-01 BonBon truly earns its place in horological conversation: TZP (tetragonal zirconia polycrystal) ceramic is an advanced technical material with extraordinary hardness, scratch resistance, and biocompatibility, demanding specialist CNC machining that few manufacturers can execute at this level of colour precision. The combination of pastel pink and acid yellow in a single case is technically challenging and visually arresting in equal measure.

For collectors, the BonBon Collection occupies a specific niche within Richard Mille's universe. Released as part of the brand's ongoing exploration of extreme materials and high-concept aesthetics, the 30-piece limitation makes each reference statistically rarer than many one-off commissions from traditional maisons. The liquorice dial — layered, textured, and referencing childhood sweets with architectural seriousness — draws serious attention from both watch collectors and the contemporary art world. These pieces do not surface at auction often, and when they do, premiums are substantial.

Barshim's connection to Richard Mille is well established. The brand has long cultivated relationships with elite athletes who operate at the intersection of performance and global celebrity, and Barshim — a three-time World Champion and Olympic gold medallist — fits that profile precisely. His public appearances in exceptional timepieces are consistent with his status as one of the most recognised sports figures in the Arab world.

At a UK list price of approximately £120,000, the RM 16-01 Réglisse BonBon sits firmly in Richard Mille's mid-to-upper tier. On the secondary market, ultra-limited coloured ceramic Richard Mille references consistently command significant premiums over retail, and with only 30 pieces in existence, the pink and yellow TZP variant is unlikely to disappoint buyers holding long.