Pilot Sébastian Loeb spotted wearing a Richard Mille

Sébastien Loeb, the most decorated rally driver in the history of the World Rally Championship, was recently photographed wearing a Richard Mille RM36-01 G-Sensor Tourbillon — one of just 30 examples ever produced. On a wrist that has steered cars through the Dakar Desert and across every rally stage imaginable, the choice carries genuine weight.

The Richard Mille RM36-01 is built around a skeletonized manual-winding tourbillon movement — caliber RM36-01 — featuring an integrated mechanical G-force sensor that displays lateral acceleration directly on the dial in real time. The case is constructed from grade 5 titanium with a carbon composite baseplate, keeping total weight to an absolute minimum despite the complication complexity. The movement offers a power reserve of approximately 70 hours and operates at 21,600 vph. The entire architecture prioritizes legibility under extreme physical stress: exactly the conditions Loeb has spent his career operating in.

Richard Mille developed the RM36-01 in close collaboration with motorsport, and its G-sensor mechanism — a genuine horological rarity — serves a functional rather than decorative purpose. It can measure forces up to 6G laterally, registering peak loads through a mechanical indicator on the movement. For a brand that markets technical partnership with elite athletes, the RM36-01 represents one of the most legitimate expressions of that philosophy. Limited to 30 pieces worldwide, it stands among the most exclusive references Richard Mille has ever released.

Loeb's relationship with Richard Mille is well-documented. He has been a brand ambassador and holds nine consecutive WRC titles between 2004 and 2012, a record that remains unmatched. Seeing him in an RM36-01 rather than a more conventional ambassador piece signals genuine engagement with the object — this is not a gifted dress watch worn for appearances.

With a UK list price of £500,000, the Richard Mille RM36-01 G-Sensor Tourbillon sits in rarefied territory even by Richard Mille standards. Grey-market movement on 30-piece limited editions of this technical complexity is minimal — examples rarely surface, and when they do, premiums over retail are typical. For collectors tracking ultra-limited Richard Mille references, the RM36-01 remains one of the most compelling and genuinely purposeful pieces the Geneva-based manufacture has ever sanctioned.