What We Know:
In a surprising move, LeBron James has joined forces with Richard Mille for the first-ever cooperation between one of the most sought-after timepiece companies and an NBA star. And what a star to cooperate with: one of, if not the greatest basketball player of all time, LeBron Raymone James Sr. of Akron, Ohio. The new RM65-01 self-winding split-second chronograph “LeBron James,” limited to 150 pieces, debuted this weekend on King James’ wrist (and Instagram) at Fanatics Fest.
Just like Charles LeClerc’s recent RM72-01, which highlighted his Monegasque origin and Ferrari relationship, LeBron has interwoven elements of himself and his team into the watch.
Yellow highlights may be found on the pushers and crown, as well as the watch’s yellow Quartz TPT midcase, dial outline, and one of the chronograph hands. Purple represents the other chronograph hand, and reference markers for the tachymeter scale may be found around the dial. This takes care of the Lakers’ colours. However, the watch features a lot of green, including the date display, hour markers, sections of the pushers, and even the LeBron James emblem at noon.
While there is no confirmation on what the green represents, our best bet is that it is a tribute to his high school alma mater, St. Vincent-St—Mary, whose colours are green and gold. Bron’s final touch is his signature in purple on the caseback, which partially obscures the automatic Caliber RMAC4 movement.
The movement has all the bells and whistles of Richard Mille’s most outrageous split-second chronograph, including hours, minutes, seconds, date, function selector, rapid winding, and variable-geometry rotor. It also has around 60 hours (±10%) of power reserve without the chronograph. The Richard Mille RM43-01 Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph Ferrari may have usurped the crown, but the RM65-01 remains a completely insane watch.
The watch is 44.5mm x 49.94mm and 16.1mm thick, and it costs somewhat more than $400,000. However, customers are unlikely to be concerned with measurements, specifications, price, or anything other than the watch and the guy who created it. With only 150 available (and 450 NBA players alone), these watches are likely already sold out. To discover out, visit one of Richard Mille’s boutiques globally.
What We Think
LeBron James is a true watch enthusiast. He owns everything from Richard Mille buckets to high-end Pateks, the Tiffany Nautilus, and numerous Audemars Piguet watches. In truth, this is not his first watch partnership; twelve years ago, he announced an official release of 600 gold AP Offshores bearing his name. Indeed, given the strong relationship between APRP (Audemars Piguet’s technical arm) and Richard Mille, it seems to reason that RM would be the most excellent place to collaborate after AP.
I learned about this launch from reliable sources a few weeks ago and eagerly awaited its arrival. To be honest, I was surprised by LeBron’s bright colour scheme here. I also have to give LeBron credit for being a discerning collector, as many of his pieces are not loud just for the sake of being noisy, unlike some celebrities of his calibre. This, however, is maximalist in the way that LeClerc chose to approach his newest release, and why not? If you’re going to do it once, make it count. Wear your heart or team allegiance on your sleeve.
The Basics
Brand: Richard Mille
Model: RM 65-01 Split-seconds Chronograph.
Diameter: 44.5 x 49.94 mm
Thickness: 16.1mm
Case Material: Black Carbon TPT with Yellow Quartz TPT Dial.
Colour: Skeletonized dial with green indices and LeBron James logo at midnight, with purple and yellow accents.
Indexes: printed and applied (outer track).
Lume: Hands, dial, and indexes.
Water resistance: 50 meters
Strap or bracelet: Rubber cloth strap.
The movement
The caliber is RMAC4.
Functions include hours, minutes, seconds, date, split-second chronograph, function selector, quick winding, and variable-geometry rotor.
The diameter is 31.78 x 29.98 mm.
Thickness: 8.69mm
Power reserve: around 60 hours (±10%) without chronograph running.
Winding: Automatic.
Frequency: 36,000 vph (5 Hz).
Jewels: 51.
Richard Mille Pricing and Availability Details
Price: $405,040.
Availability: Available in Richard Mille boutiques worldwide.
Limited Edition: Yes, 150 pieces.
You can also discover more insightful and current updates on Seonba.
Stay updated with the latest in luxury watches here!