Pilot Pastor Maldonado spotted wearing a Richard Mille

Pastor Maldonado, the Venezuelan Formula 1 driver best known for his 2012 Spanish Grand Prix victory with Lotus-Renault, was spotted wearing a Richard Mille RM055 Bubba Watson in reference 555.45A.91-1 — a watch that sits squarely at the intersection of haute horlogerie and extreme materials engineering.

The Richard Mille RM055 was introduced in 2012 as a collaboration with American professional golfer Bubba Watson, who had just claimed his first Masters title at Augusta. The brief was simple: build the lightest possible mechanical sports watch. Richard Mille answered with a case constructed from white Carbon TPT — a layered carbon fiber composite produced by North Thin Ply Technology that laminates filaments at 45-degree angles, resulting in a chassis of extraordinary rigidity and minimal mass. Reference 555.45A.91-1 pairs this white TPT case with a baseplate and bridges also executed in Carbon TPT, leaving the movement almost entirely visible through both dial and caseback.

Powering the RM055 is the caliber RMUL3 — an ultra-flat, manual-winding skeletonized movement beating at 21,600 vph with a 55-hour power reserve. The architecture draws on Richard Mille's signature spline screws, free-sprung balance with variable inertia, and a swift rotor-free layout that keeps the profile remarkably thin. Water resistance is rated to 50 metres, and the case measures 49.94 mm × 42.7 mm, consistent with the brand's larger sport offerings.

Among collectors, the RM055 Bubba Watson occupies a specific niche: it is one of the more attainable entry points into Carbon TPT Richard Mille territory, yet it carries the full technical pedigree of the Geneva manufacture's top-tier production. The white TPT variant is particularly sought after for its visual drama — the marbled, almost ceramic appearance reads differently from any other material in the market.

Maldonado's association with the watch is contextually apt. Richard Mille built its brand identity on motorsport, and Maldonado raced during an era when RM ambassadors were common in F1 paddocks. The RM055 Bubba Watson retailed at approximately £61,000 in the UK market; grey-market values have fluctuated but strong demand for Carbon TPT models keeps secondary pricing firm, typically in the $80,000–$95,000 range depending on condition and provenance.