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Footballer Neymar Jr spotted wearing Richard Mille

Neymar Jr has long been one of Richard Mille's most visible ambassadors — a brand partner whose wrist has hosted genuine six-figure pieces on and off the pitch. So when images surfaced showing the PSG forward wearing what appeared to be a Richard Mille RM68-01 Tourbillon in TZP black ceramic, the watch community took notice. Subsequent examination confirmed the piece was not authentic.

The genuine Richard Mille RM68-01 Cyril Kongo is a serious horological and artistic object. The case is constructed from TZP zirconia ceramic — an exceptionally hard, dense material that Richard Mille has employed precisely because it resists the kind of daily abuse athletes inflict on their wrists. Inside sits a hand-wound tourbillon movement, the calibre RM68-01, built to Richard Mille's characteristic skeletonised architecture with a baseplate and bridges in grade 5 titanium. Power reserve runs to approximately 48 hours. The movement is visible through the sapphire crystal, framed by that dramatic black ceramic tonneau case.

What makes the RM68-01 Cyril Kongo genuinely exceptional is the collaboration with French graffiti artist Cyril Kongo, whose hand-painted aerosol work covers the dial and movement components. Because each of the 30 pieces was painted individually by Kongo, no two examples are identical — Richard Mille designated each a Pièce Unique within a limited series, a paradox that is entirely deliberate. The result is a watch that sits at the intersection of contemporary street art and grand complications watchmaking.

Neymar's relationship with Richard Mille is well documented. The brand signed him as an ambassador and produced dedicated Neymar Jr editions, most notably skeletonised tourbillons he wore during competitive matches — a marketing strategy Richard Mille has refined into an art form. The irony of a fake RM68-01 Cyril Kongo appearing on his wrist is therefore considerable: this is a man who has worn genuine Richard Mille pieces worth comparable sums in Champions League fixtures.

The authentic Richard Mille RM68-01 Cyril Kongo carried a UK list price of approximately £530,000. Given the 30-piece limitation, the hand-painted Pièce Unique status, and strong secondary market demand for high-complication Richard Mille collaborations, grey market values for verified examples trade at a significant premium. Counterfeits of this reference circulate widely precisely because the originals are so scarce and so visually striking — making authentication essential.