Watch Paparazzi

Pilot Fred Vasseur spotted wearing Richard Mille

Fred Vasseur, the French engineer who took the reins as Ferrari Formula 1 Team Principal at the start of the 2023 season, was photographed wearing a titanium Richard Mille RM 11-03 Flyback Chronograph — a choice that reads less as a fashion statement and more as a considered alignment between watchmaking philosophy and professional identity.

The Richard Mille RM 011 debuted in 2007 as a flyback chronograph with annual calendar complications, and it quickly became the reference that defined what the Geneva-based manufacture — founded by Richard Mille in 1999 — could accomplish in terms of integrating haute horology with materials science borrowed from aerospace and motorsport. The RM 11-03 revision, introduced in 2016, refined the movement architecture and case geometry while retaining the signature tonneau profile. The caliber RMAC2 automatic movement beats at 28,800 vph, offers a 55-hour power reserve, and delivers flyback chronograph function, a big date display at 12 o'clock, month indication, and a 12-hour totalizer. The grade-5 titanium case measures 50mm × 40mm, keeps weight minimal, and offers a water resistance of 50 meters.

Among collectors, the RM 011 occupies a foundational position. It was the first Richard Mille reference to achieve broad cultural penetration beyond the brand's early adopter circle, appearing on the wrists of athletes, musicians, and executives who rarely overlap in taste. The titanium configuration is the entry point into the RM 011 family — versions in red gold, white gold, and carbon TPT command significantly higher premiums — but it remains the purist's choice for daily wearability without sacrificing specification.

Vasseur's background as a racing engineer and team director at Sauber and Alfa Romeo Sauber before moving to Ferrari places him squarely in the demographic Richard Mille has always cultivated: technically literate, performance-driven individuals for whom a watch must function as credibly as it presents. The RM 11-03 on the wrist of a man managing Ferrari's championship ambitions is contextually coherent in a way few watch choices can claim.

At retail, the titanium Richard Mille RM 11-03 Flyback Chronograph lists in the range of $130,000 USD. On the secondary market, demand has kept grey-market values firm, typically trading between $140,000 and $160,000 depending on condition and documentation — a modest premium that reflects the model's liquidity and enduring desirability.