Watch Paparazzi

Writer Turki Alalshikh spotted wearing Richard Mille

Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi Royal Court advisor who has become one of the most influential figures in global sports and entertainment promotion, was recently seen wearing a Richard Mille RM 38-01 Tourbillon Bubba Watson — a piece that commands attention even within Richard Mille's extraordinary catalog. At a list price of $825,000 and limited to 50 examples, this is not a watch that enters a collection quietly.

The Richard Mille RM 38-01 was developed in close collaboration with two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and represents one of the brand's most purpose-driven engineering exercises. At its core sits a manually wound tourbillon movement — caliber RM 38-01 — incorporating a patented g-force sensor capable of measuring the acceleration forces generated at the wrist during a golf swing. This data-capture function is not decorative; it was conceived as a genuine performance feedback tool, translating biomechanical data into a readable display on the dial. The baseplate and bridges are machined from grade 5 titanium, keeping the movement architecture both rigid and ultralight.

The defining aesthetic signature of the RM 38-01 is its TZP-G ceramic construction. TZP — tetragonal zirconia polycrystal — enhanced with a green colorant injected into microscopic alumina oxide tubes at pressures reaching 2,000 bars, produces bezels of exceptional hardness and chromatic depth. The resulting green is not a coating or anodization; it is structural, consistent through the full thickness of the material. Richard Mille applied this technology to both the front and caseback bezels, giving the watch a visual identity that is immediately recognizable on the wrist.

For collectors, the RM 38-01 occupies a specific and respected tier. With only 50 pieces produced, provenance matters, and the combination of a functional tourbillon, a purpose-built sensor complication, and advanced ceramic materials justifies the price architecture in Richard Mille's own logic. It remains one of the brand's most cited references when discussing the intersection of haute horlogerie and athletic performance design.

Turki Alalshikh has been expanding Saudi Arabia's global cultural and sporting footprint at speed — from boxing promotions to Formula 1 involvement and entertainment mega-events. His choice of the RM 38-01 over more conventional luxury references is consistent with a public persona built around performance, scale, and visibility. On the grey market, examples of the RM 38-01 Bubba Watson trade well above retail, reflecting both scarcity and sustained demand from serious collectors.