Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Thiago Silva spotted wearing Richard Mille

The image is unforgettable. Brazil's captain Thiago Silva, visibly distraught, embraces midfielder Oscar in the aftermath of the 7-1 semifinal demolition by Germany at the Estádio Mineirão — a result that shocked the football world and left an entire nation in disbelief. On Silva's wrist, almost incidentally, sits one of the most technically sophisticated wristwatches money can buy: the Richard Mille RM035 Rafael Nadal Edition.

The RM035 was developed in close collaboration with tennis legend Rafael Nadal, who famously wore Richard Mille pieces on court during Grand Slam matches — a real-world stress test no laboratory could replicate. The reference 535.24.91 features a baseplate and bridges machined from NTPT Carbon, a layered carbon composite woven in 45-degree plies and impregnated with toughened resin, producing that distinctive dark marbled surface. The entire watch, including its manual-winding calibre RM35-01 with a free-sprung balance and variable-geometry rotor, tips the scale at roughly 19 grams. For a watch this complex, that figure remains remarkable.

The movement runs at 28,800 vph and offers approximately 55 hours of power reserve. The skeletonized dial exposes the full architecture of the calibre, with its multi-level construction and titanium screws throughout — a design philosophy Richard Mille borrowed directly from Formula 1 chassis engineering. Water resistance is rated to 50 metres, practical enough for a professional athlete in active competition.

Among collectors, the RM035 Nadal occupies a specific and respected place in the Richard Mille catalogue. It predates some of the brand's more commercially oriented releases and retains credibility as a piece genuinely co-developed for athletic performance rather than simply co-signed. The NTPT Carbon references in particular attract strong secondary market interest from serious collectors who value material innovation over precious metal ostentation.

Thiago Silva, a Champions League winner with PSG and a long-serving Brazil international, has consistently shown strong taste in horology throughout his career. Seeing the RM035 on his wrist in this specific, historically loaded photograph adds a layer of cultural weight to an already significant timepiece. At a UK RRP of approximately £58,000, the grey market frequently pushes this reference well above retail, with NTPT examples changing hands between $90,000 and $120,000 depending on condition and provenance.