Athlete Mutaz Essa Barshim spotted wearing a Richard Mille

Mutaz Essa Barshim, Qatar's celebrated Olympic high jump champion and one of the most decorated track-and-field athletes of his generation, was recently spotted wearing a Richard Mille RM 055 Bubba Watson edition — a watch that bridges the brand's twin worlds of golf and extreme athletic performance.

The Richard Mille RM 055 was originally developed in partnership with two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and first debuted in 2012. The standout feature is its case crafted from ATZ white ceramic, an alumina-based zirconia toughened ceramic that delivers exceptional hardness and scratch resistance while remaining remarkably light — a core Richard Mille engineering priority. The tonneau-shaped case measures 49.94mm × 42.7mm, with a thickness of just 12.15mm. Inside sits the calibre RMUL2, a skeletonised manual-winding movement visible through the open-worked dial, offering a 55-hour power reserve across twin barrels and running at 28,800 vph. The movement's baseplate and bridges are crafted from grade 5 titanium, keeping overall weight to a minimum.

Among Richard Mille collectors, the RM 055 occupies a respected position as one of the maison's cleaner, more legible skeleton references — avoiding some of the visual complexity that characterises busier RM calibres. The Bubba Watson variant's white ceramic case gives it an immediately distinctive identity on the secondary market, where examples consistently command significant premiums over retail. Current grey-market valuations hover around $390,000 against an official retail price of $160,000, reflecting both the model's limited availability and sustained collector demand.

Barshim's association with Richard Mille is well established — the brand has cultivated a carefully curated roster of elite athletes, and the Qatari champion fits that profile precisely. His Tokyo gold medal, shared in a memorable moment of sportsmanship with Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi, raised his global profile substantially, making him one of the most recognisable faces in track and field.

On the wrist of a world-class high jumper, the RM 055 Bubba Watson reads as more than a status symbol. It is a technically credible instrument built for extreme physical contexts — which, in Richard Mille's universe, is always the point.