Watch Paparazzi

Royal Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi spotted wearing Richard Mille

Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman and one of the Gulf region's most serious watch collectors, was recently spotted wearing the Richard Mille RM 27-02 Rafael Nadal — a piece limited to just 50 examples worldwide and widely regarded as one of the most technically audacious wristwatches ever produced.

Richard Mille developed the RM 27-02 in close collaboration with Rafael Nadal, building on years of partnership that began with the RM 027 in 2010. The RM 27-02, introduced around 2014, raised the bar dramatically. Its manual-winding tourbillon movement — caliber RM27-02 — is suspended inside the case using a cable tensioning system inspired by suspension bridge engineering. The entire movement is secured by braided steel cables just 0.28mm in diameter, allowing it to survive shocks exceeding 10,000 Gs. The case itself is constructed from TPT Quartz, a layered composite material made from silica filaments impregnated with resin and laminated at precise angles, giving each watch its distinctive marbled visual texture. The case measures 44.83 x 38.70mm and weighs an almost implausible 19 grams complete with strap.

From a collector's perspective, the RM 27-02 occupies rare territory even within Richard Mille's own catalogue. The 50-piece limitation, the hand-finishing of the skeletonized movement, and the direct connection to one of sport's most iconic figures make it a benchmark piece. The cable-suspended tourbillon is not a marketing exercise — Nadal wore the watch on court, validating the engineering under real competitive conditions. That provenance is essentially irreproducible.

Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi is no casual enthusiast. The Crown Prince of Ajman has been photographed across a range of ultra-high-end timepieces and represents a collector profile that prioritizes technical innovation and exclusivity over conventional prestige. The RM 27-02 aligns precisely with that sensibility.

On the secondary market, the Richard Mille RM 27-02 Rafael Nadal commands prices in the region of $800,000, consistent with the caption's indication. Retail pricing — where it applied to the original 50 recipients — was already well into six figures, but grey-market demand from collectors across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe has pushed valuations considerably higher. For a 50-piece tourbillon that doubles as certified sporting equipment, that figure is not difficult to justify.