Watch Paparazzi

Artist Alec Monopoly spotted wearing Richard Mille

Street artist Alec Monopoly was recently photographed wearing a Richard Mille RM 11-03 Automatic Flyback Chronograph cased in 18K rose gold, adding one of independent watchmaking's most technically ambitious sports watches to what is clearly a considered collection. The sighting places the RM 11-03 squarely in the intersection of contemporary art and haute horology — territory Monopoly has occupied professionally for years.

The Richard Mille RM 11-03 is built around the in-house caliber RMAC3, a skeletonized automatic movement offering flyback chronograph functionality alongside a GMT annual calendar complication. The baseplate and bridges are constructed from grade 5 titanium, fastened with the brand's signature spline screws — a structural choice that reduces weight while maintaining rigidity under stress. This particular example features a sapphire-blasted and hand-drawn case surface, a finishing technique that gives the rose gold an almost matte, architectural texture rarely seen on precious metal watches at this price point. Interior flanges in carbon fiber complete a material palette that is characteristically Richard Mille: high-performance engineering dressed in precious metals.

The RM 11-03 arrived as a refinement of the long-running RM 011 lineage, one of the brand's foundational references since its introduction in 2007. It became associated early on with Formula 1 and motorsport culture, and the flyback complication — which resets and restarts the chronograph with a single pusher operation — reflects that heritage. Among collectors, the RM 11-03 in rose gold is regarded as the more wearable and emotionally warm variant of the reference, contrasting with the sportier titanium configurations.

Alec Monopoly has built a global profile through collaborations with brands including Gucci, Rolls-Royce, and the NBA, and his aesthetic — heavy on wealth symbolism, color, and pop cultural reference — aligns naturally with Richard Mille's positioning as watchmaking for those who treat luxury as self-expression rather than tradition.

Retail pricing for the Richard Mille RM 11-03 in 18K rose gold sits at approximately $160,000, though the grey market tells a different story entirely. Secondary market transactions for this reference regularly clear $300,000, underscoring the sustained demand and constrained supply that define Richard Mille's collector ecosystem.