Pilot Martin Brundle spotted wearing a Richard Mille

Martin Brundle, the former Formula 1 driver turned Sky Sports grid-walk veteran, was recently spotted wearing a Richard Mille RM 011 Flyback Chronograph in its most extreme material variant — the Black Night configuration in TZP black ceramic and NTPT Carbon, reference RM011 AO CA FM. The sighting is notable not just for the wearer's motorsport credentials, but for the sheer rarity of the watch itself: only 100 examples were produced, sold exclusively through Richard Mille boutiques in Geneva, Paris, London, Milan, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai.

The RM 011 is one of Richard Mille's cornerstone references, introduced in 2007 as the brand's first flyback chronograph with an annual calendar complication. The movement — calibre RMAC1, an automatic with 55-hour power reserve — integrates a column wheel flyback chronograph, annual calendar with retrograde date, and a function selector crown to prevent accidental adjustment. Running at 28,800 vph, the movement is skeletonised and visible through the signature tonneau case, showcasing the brand's philosophy of treating the movement as an aesthetic centrepiece.

The Black Night variant elevates the standard RM 011 architecture by substituting the case material with TZP ceramic, a yttrium-stabilised tetragonal zirconia polycrystal that delivers exceptional hardness and scratch resistance while maintaining a deep, uniform black finish. The bezel and case band are constructed from NTPT Carbon — North Thin Ply Technology — a material originally engineered for America's Cup yachts and Formula 1 chassis. Each NTPT Carbon case is structurally unique, with its own visible fibre pattern, making every piece individually distinct despite the limited run.

For collectors, the RM 011 occupies a serious position in the Richard Mille catalogue. It was the reference that cemented Felipe Massa's association with the brand and demonstrated that Richard Mille could produce complex movements — not merely exotic cases. The Black Night edition, with its regional exclusivity and sub-100 production number, commands significant attention on the secondary market and rarely appears at auction.

Brundle's choice is contextually coherent. A man who spent years in cockpits where material engineering determined survival, now wearing a watch built from the same composites that surrounded him at speed. The UK retail price was listed at approximately £100,000, placing the grey-market value — given its rarity and dual-material construction — considerably higher among serious collectors.