Footballer Karim Benzema spotted wearing a Richard Mille

Karim Benzema has long been one of football's most serious horological collectors, and a sighting of him wearing the Richard Mille RM 004 in white gold, reference WG 503.06.91, underscores precisely why his wrist deserves attention. This is not a watch chosen for logo recognition alone — the RM 004 represents a foundational chapter in Richard Mille's short but seismic history.

Launched in the early 2000s, the RM 004 was among the first references to fully articulate Richard Mille's core philosophy: extreme mechanical complexity housed in an ultra-lightweight, ergonomically sculpted case. The reference WG 503.06.91 features a white gold tonneau-shaped case, a material choice that adds significant heft and prestige relative to the brand's signature titanium offerings. At its heart sits a manually wound tourbillon movement — calibre RM 004 — built around a skeletonised architecture that exposes the regulating organ in full, with a baseplate constructed from grade 5 titanium and ARCAP alloy for anti-magnetic properties. Power reserve runs to approximately 48 hours.

From a collector standpoint, early Richard Mille references carry disproportionate weight. The RM 004 predates the explosive commercial growth that made Richard Mille a household name in luxury circles, meaning examples from this period represent the brand at its most raw and experimental. White gold variants are produced in strictly limited numbers and surface rarely on the secondary market, commanding a premium that reflects both scarcity and historical significance within the catalogue.

Benzema's relationship with Richard Mille is well documented — the French striker has been photographed in multiple RM references throughout his career, and his taste consistently runs toward the more technically ambitious end of the spectrum. During his peak years at Real Madrid, his wrist choices received as much scrutiny as his performances on the Bernabéu pitch, cementing him as one of the sport's most credible watch personalities.

At a UK RRP of £175,000, the RM 004 white gold sits firmly in ultra-luxury territory. On the grey market, early tourbillon references in precious metal cases from Richard Mille tend to hold or exceed retail, with strong demand from both football-adjacent collector communities and established horology enthusiasts tracking the brand's origins.