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Politician Jean Todt spotted wearing Richard Mille

Jean Todt, one of motorsport's most decorated administrators and a long-standing Richard Mille brand ambassador, was photographed wearing what is arguably one of the manufacture's most extraordinary creations: the Richard Mille RM 018 'Hommage à Boucheron' Tourbillon, a piece limited to just 30 examples and produced as a direct tribute to the storied Parisian jeweler Boucheron on the occasion of its 150th anniversary in 2008.

The RM 018 departs dramatically from Richard Mille's typical engineering-first aesthetic. While the brand's DNA — ultra-light materials, skeletal architecture, manual-winding tourbillon movement — remains intact, the RM 018 layers that technical foundation beneath an extraordinary decorative program. Different versions within the 30-piece run feature dials and case elements set with tiger's eye, jasper, black onyx, and pavé diamonds, referencing the gemstone vocabulary that Boucheron has employed since its founding on Place Vendôme in 1858. The manual-winding tourbillon caliber, developed in collaboration with specialist movement makers, is displayed through an openworked dial that allows the wearer to appreciate both the mechanical and lapidary craftsmanship simultaneously.

From a collector's standpoint, the RM 018 occupies a singular position in the Richard Mille catalogue. It represents an early chapter in the brand's history — Richard Mille was still establishing its credibility in the haute horlogerie world in 2008 — and demonstrates the manufacture's willingness to pursue high-jewellery territory without abandoning mechanical seriousness. Thirty pieces across multiple stone variations means individual references are extraordinarily scarce at auction, and documented provenance linked to a figure like Todt adds considerable historical weight.

Todt's relationship with Richard Mille predates his FIA presidency, which ran from 2009 to 2021. As the architect of Ferrari's most dominant F1 era alongside Michael Schumacher, Todt became a natural figurehead for a brand that built its identity on motorsport partnerships. His wearing of the RM 018 underscores a personal collecting sensibility that goes well beyond simple brand loyalty.

The Richard Mille RM 018 'Hommage à Boucheron' Tourbillon does not carry a standard retail price given its limited and bespoke nature. On the secondary market, comparable early Richard Mille jewellery tourbillons with documented provenance have achieved figures well into six-digit territory at major auction houses, with results heavily dependent on stone variant and condition.