Watch Paparazzi

Singer Ed Sheeran spotted wearing Richard Mille

Ed Sheeran has never been the flashiest dresser on the red carpet, which makes the Richard Mille RM028 on his wrist all the more telling. The Grammy-winning singer was photographed sporting one of Richard Mille's more technically demanding references — a watch that combines a tourbillon movement with a genuine 300-metre dive rating, a combination that almost no other manufacturer has achieved at this level of finishing.

The Richard Mille RM028 is built around the Calibre RM028, an automatic winding tourbillon movement beating at 21,600 vph with a power reserve of approximately 72 hours. The movement is skeletonised and visible through the characteristic Richard Mille tonneau-shaped case, which is offered in materials ranging from grade-5 titanium to NTPT Carbon. The crown screws down, gaskets are rated to 300 metres, and the entire architecture is engineered to withstand the hydrostatic pressures of recreational diving — all while housing one of watchmaking's most delicate complications. The case dimensions sit around 47.7 x 39.7 mm, wearing large but ergonomically shaped to sit flat against the wrist.

Among collectors, the RM028 occupies a specific niche: it is the diver's tourbillon that actually works as a diver's watch. Richard Mille introduced the reference in the mid-2000s as proof that the brand's engineering-first philosophy could be extended beyond motorsport and aviation contexts. Production numbers have always been tightly controlled, and acquiring one through authorised retail requires both the right relationship and considerable patience. The reference commands serious respect in secondary market circles precisely because it doesn't rely on a celebrity ambassador or limited-edition colourway — it earns its reputation through mechanical ambition alone.

Sheeran has form when it comes to Richard Mille. The Suffolk-born singer has been seen with multiple references over the years, and his choices tend toward the brand's more technically complex pieces rather than its fashion-oriented collaborations. For someone who spends significant time on stage — an environment that is genuinely punishing for mechanical watches — a case engineered to resist shock, vibration, and moisture makes practical sense.

At UK list price of approximately £70,000, the Richard Mille RM028 translates to roughly $88,000 USD at retail. Grey market values have historically tracked above list given constrained supply, with clean examples regularly changing hands between $95,000 and $120,000 depending on material variant and condition. For a tourbillon diver of this specification, that pricing remains defensible.