Pilot Charles Leclerc spotted wearing a Richard Mille

Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari's lead driver and one of the most recognizable faces in modern Formula 1, was recently spotted wearing a Richard Mille RM61-01 Yohan Blake in black TZP ceramic on a yellow strap — a piece that sits at the intersection of elite sport, materials science, and limited-edition collectibility.

The Richard Mille RM61-01 was conceived in direct partnership with Yohan Blake, the Jamaican sprinter and two-time Olympic relay gold medalist who ran the second-fastest 100m in history. The reference is built around a case crafted from TZP-N black ceramic, a tetragonal zirconia polycrystal compound that offers exceptional hardness and scratch resistance while remaining significantly lighter than steel. The tonneau-shaped case measures 50.05mm × 42.70mm × 16.15mm — large even by Richard Mille standards — and houses the calibre RMUL3, an ultra-flat manual-winding movement with a baseplate and bridges in grade 5 titanium. Functions include hours, minutes, seconds, and a function selector managing winding, neutral, and time-setting modes. Power reserve sits at approximately 55 hours.

From a collector standpoint, the RM61-01 occupies a specific niche within the Richard Mille catalogue: athlete-collaboration pieces with a clearly defined material story. TZP ceramic references from Richard Mille have historically retained — and in many cases grown — their value on the secondary market, with the combination of limited production numbers and the Yohan Blake association giving this reference sustained demand. The yellow strap is not merely aesthetic; it is a direct design cue from Blake's Jamaican sprinting kit, lending the piece a narrative coherence that serious collectors appreciate.

Leclerc's relationship with Richard Mille is well-documented. As a brand ambassador, he regularly wears pieces from the manufacture's high-complication and sport-collaboration lines, and his choice of the RM61-01 Yohan Blake underscores a certain cross-disciplinary respect among elite athletes — speed, whether measured on a circuit or a track, demands instruments built to matching standards.

On the current grey market, the Richard Mille RM61-01 Yohan Blake commands prices well into six-figure territory, consistent with the £275,000 figure circulating among dealers. Official retail pricing for Richard Mille athlete collaborations in exotic case materials routinely exceeds $200,000, and secondary demand for this specific reference shows no signs of softening.