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rapperSpotted November 2022

Rapper Drake spotted wearing a Richard Mille

rapper Drake spotted wearing a Richard Mille RM35
Who & what: Richard Mille RM 35-02 Americas 'Rafael Nadal' NTPT Carbon – Limited to 50 Pieces

Drake was photographed wearing a Richard Mille RM 35-02 Americas 'Rafael Nadal,' a regionally exclusive limited edition restricted to just 50 pieces and distributed specifically through Richard Mille's Americas network — making it one of the harder RM references to acquire through any conventional channel.

The RM 35-02 sits within Richard Mille's long-running Rafael Nadal partnership, a collaboration that began in 2010 and produced some of the most technically ambitious sports watches of the modern era. The case is constructed from NTPT Carbon — North Thin Ply Technology — a layered filament material originally developed for America's Cup yacht racing and Formula 1 bodywork. Each NTPT Carbon case produces a unique wood-grain surface pattern, meaning no two watches are visually identical. The case measures 49.94 x 44.50 mm, weighs under 33 grams complete on strap, and is water resistant to 50 metres. Inside sits the calibre RMAL1, an automatic movement with hours, minutes, seconds, and a function selector, beating at 28,800 vph with a 55-hour power reserve. The skeletonised baseplate and bridges are machined from grade 5 titanium.

The Americas designation elevates the collector appeal considerably. Regional RM editions — whether Americas, Asia-Pacific, or EMEA — are distributed in strictly controlled allocations, and the 50-piece ceiling on this reference means secondary market availability is genuinely limited. The NTPT Carbon Nadal lineage consistently outperforms standard RM 35 references on the grey market, with condition and provenance driving significant premiums over list.

Drake's affinity for Richard Mille is well established and extends across multiple references. The Toronto rapper has been spotted in RM 11s, RM 69s, and various bespoke commissions over the years, wearing the brand with the kind of regularity that signals genuine collecting interest rather than occasional placement. The RM 35-02 Americas, with its combination of extreme rarity and athletic pedigree, fits precisely within that pattern.

At a UK list price of approximately £82,700 — roughly $104,000 USD at current rates — the RM 35-02 Americas Nadal was never an accessible reference. On the secondary market, the 50-piece Americas limitation pushes authenticated examples meaningfully higher, with comparable regional Nadal editions trading between $130,000 and $180,000 USD depending on condition and accompanying documentation.

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