Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Jay-Z spotted wearing Richard Mille

Jay-Z has never been shy about his affinity for Richard Mille, but this particular sighting puts a specifically significant piece on his wrist: the Richard Mille RM 035, the reference developed in close collaboration with tennis champion Rafael Nadal and long regarded as one of the brand's most technically purposeful creations.

The Richard Mille RM 035 — reference 535.24.91 in its Nadal configuration — is housed in a case fabricated from NTPT (North Thin Ply Technology) carbon fiber, a material originally developed for America's Cup yachting and Formula 1 applications. The layered carbon structure, with plies oriented at 45-degree offsets, produces the distinctive marbled visual texture the reference is known for. The case weighs just under 33 grams complete with strap, a figure that shaped Richard Mille's marketing claim that Nadal could 'forget he was wearing a watch' during Grand Slam finals. The manual-winding Calibre CRMA2 movement is skeletonized to reduce mass, beats at 4 Hz, and offers a 55-hour power reserve through a variable-geometry rotor system.

From a collector standpoint, the RM 035 occupies a well-defined position in the Richard Mille canon. It predates the more complex tourbillon references but benefits from the full NTPT case treatment and the Nadal association, which gives it narrative weight that purely aesthetic models lack. Early production examples with cleaner lug finishing have attracted particular attention on the secondary market, and the reference consistently holds value above retail in active trading.

Jay-Z's relationship with Richard Mille dates back well over a decade. He has been photographed in RM 011s, RM 056s, and various limited-edition skeletonized pieces — positioning him among hip-hop's most committed Richard Mille collectors rather than occasional wearers. The RM 035 represents a slightly more understated register for his wrist than some of his more elaborate references, which may explain the choice for a lower-key appearance.

At a UK RRP of approximately £60,000 — translating to roughly $75,000 at time of listing — the Richard Mille RM 035 Rafael Nadal sits in the entry tier of the brand's range by price, though not by engineering ambition. Grey-market demand keeps values firm, with clean examples trading consistently above list price globally.