Boxer Canelo Álvarez spotted wearing a Richard Mille

Canelo Álvarez did not celebrate becoming the first undisputed four-belt super middleweight champion — adding the IBF title to his existing WBC, WBA, and WBO belts — with restraint. On his wrist sat a Richard Mille RM 26-02 'Evil Eye' in 18-karat rose gold, set with brilliant-cut diamonds and finished with hand-engraved, individually painted flames. It is the kind of watch that announces itself before you read the dial.

The RM 26-02 was introduced as part of Richard Mille's Tourbillon collection and built around the brand's signature CRMT2 calibre, a manually wound one-minute flying tourbillon movement constructed from grade-5 titanium and aluminium components to reduce mass and improve oscillation stability. The baseplate and bridges are skeletonised, giving full visibility to the tourbillon cage — itself a structural centrepiece of the dial architecture. The 'Evil Eye' denomination refers to the talismanic motif at the heart of the dial, rendered in hand-painted enamel and surrounded by the flame engravings that require extraordinary bench time from Richard Mille's specialist artisans.

From a collector's perspective, the RM 26-02 occupies a specific niche within the Richard Mille catalogue: it bridges the brand's technical watchmaking credentials with its high-jewellery ambitions. The combination of a certified tourbillon movement with artisanal decorative work — engraving, painting, gem-setting — in a single case makes it a rare convergence of complications and craftsmanship. Production numbers are extremely limited, and the diamond-set rose gold configuration is among the most sought-after variants.

Álvarez has long been one of Richard Mille's most recognisable ambassadors and collectors, regularly appearing in RM pieces both in and outside the ring. His association with the brand reflects a broader pattern: Richard Mille has cultivated relationships with elite athletes across boxing, Formula 1, tennis, and golf, positioning its watches as performance objects even when worn in social contexts. Canelo's choice of the RM 26-02 on a historic personal occasion underscores the watch's status as a celebration piece at the very top of the market.

At $726,500 list price, the Richard Mille RM 26-02 'Evil Eye' in rose gold and diamonds is firmly in trophy-watch territory. On the secondary market, comparable diamond-set Richard Mille tourbillon references have traded above retail, and given limited availability, the 'Evil Eye' configuration is unlikely to disappoint collectors tracking resale value.