Writer Steve Stoute spotted wearing a Richard Mille

Steve Stoute, best known as the author of 'The Tanning of America' and founder of brand consultancy Translation, was recently spotted on the wrist wearing a Richard Mille RM011 'Felipe Massa' flyback chronograph cased in 18ct rose gold — one of the more coveted configurations of Richard Mille's foundational chronograph reference.

The RM011 arrived in 2007 as Richard Mille's first flyback chronograph and remains one of the brand's most important references. Its proprietary RMAC1 automatic movement — later refined through several evolutions — delivers hours, minutes, seconds, a flyback chronograph, annual calendar, and GMT function, all visible through a fully skeletonized dial. The movement beats at 28,800 vph and offers approximately 55 hours of power reserve. The tonneau-shaped case measures 50mm × 40mm, a characteristically bold footprint for Richard Mille. In 18ct rose gold, the case adds significant weight and warmth to the otherwise industrial aesthetic, creating a deliberate tension between motorsport engineering and precious-metal luxury.

The Felipe Massa designation is not merely cosmetic. Massa wore the watch during Grand Prix competition, and Richard Mille engineered the RMAC1 to survive the punishing vibration and G-force loads of an F1 cockpit — figures cited at over 5,000 Gs under racing conditions. That functional pedigree gives the RM011 a legitimacy that many luxury sport watches cannot claim. Among collectors, the rose gold variant occupies a particular sweet spot: rarer than titanium or NTPT carbon editions, yet more wearable day-to-day than the brand's more extreme material combinations.

Stoute moves comfortably in circles where Richard Mille is the default choice. His career bridging hip-hop, advertising, and sports marketing — with long-standing ties to LeBron James and a client roster that has spanned Nike to Beats — places him squarely in the demographic that adopted Richard Mille before the brand became ubiquitous on celebrity wrists. The rose gold RM011 reads as a considered, informed choice rather than a conspicuous flex.

At UK RRP of £92,500 and USD retail in the $120,000–$130,000 range depending on configuration and year, the RM011 in rose gold commands even stronger numbers on the secondary market, where desirable references regularly trade above list. For a watch that doubles as a functional flyback chronograph and a statement of cultural positioning, Stoute's choice lands exactly as intended.