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Rapper Fred De Palma spotted wearing Richard Mille

Fred De Palma, the Turin-born rapper credited with bringing reggaeton to mainstream Italian pop, recently surfaced sporting a striking wrist double — and the piece anchoring his right wrist immediately drew attention from watch-spotters: a 40mm Richard Mille RM 011 FM Felipe Massa in 18k rose gold, its skeletonised flyback chronograph dial leaving almost nothing to the imagination.

The Richard Mille RM 011 FM was developed in close collaboration with Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa and introduced in the mid-2000s as one of the manufacture's most complication-rich references. The calibre RMAC2 automatic movement powers a flyback chronograph alongside an annual calendar, GMT function, and 55-hour power reserve — all visible through the characteristic skeletonised architecture. The 40mm tonneau-shaped case in 18k rose gold represents the most precious metal option in the RM 011 lineup, combining shock resistance with an undeniable warmth and weight that titanium and NTPT carbon variants simply cannot replicate.

Among collectors, the RM 011 FM occupies a specific and respected niche. It predates the era of extreme material experimentation that defined later Richard Mille references, yet it delivers the brand's full technical proposition: a movement designed to withstand lateral forces exceeding 5,000 Gs, torque-limiting crown, and spline screws throughout. The Felipe Massa association gives it genuine motorsport provenance rather than the purely aesthetic sporting credentials of some competitors. Rose gold examples are comparatively scarce and consistently command premiums over base titanium configurations on the secondary market.

For Fred De Palma, the RM 011 FM is not an isolated flex. The artist has demonstrated consistent and knowledgeable interest in horology, and wearing this piece on the right wrist — against convention — reads as intentional. It forces the eye to clock the dial geometry and the rose gold case in full rather than letting it disappear into habitual left-wrist glances.

On the grey market, the 40mm Richard Mille RM 011 FM Felipe Massa in 18k rose gold currently trades around $310,000, a figure that reflects both the reference's enduring desirability and the scarcity of precious-metal configurations. Official retail, where available, sits in a similar range, leaving virtually no discount window for buyers — which, in Richard Mille's world, is entirely business as usual.