The most expensive Richard Mille ever sold at auction is the one-of-one RM 52-01 Skull Tourbillon, which fetched about $5.7 million (reported as EUR 5.45 million) at Antiquorum in Monaco in 2022. Some lists quote $6.9 million for the same watch, so the exact figure depends on the source and the currency. This ranking covers the ten highest verified Richard Mille auction results through October 2026, followed by what the brand’s limited pieces cost new.
| Rank | Watch | Price (USD) | Sale date | Sold at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | RM 52-05 Pharrell Williams | About $1.6 million | October 2023 | Sotheby’s Hong Kong |
| 9 | RM 56-02 Sapphire Tourbillon | About $1.8 million | October 2017 | Sotheby’s |
| 8 | RM 38-02 Tourbillon Bubba Watson | About $2.0 million | October 2023 | Sotheby’s Hong Kong |
| 7 | RM 001 Tourbillon, pink gold | About $2.1 million | November 2022 | Christie’s |
| 6 | RM 67-02 Charles Leclerc prototype, one-off | About $2.3 to $2.7 million | November 2021 | Christie’s |
| 5 | RM S14 Talisman Origine, one-off | $2.6 to $3.0 million | 2024 | Christie’s |
| 4 | RM 56-02 AO Sapphire Tourbillon | About $3.0 million | June 2024 | Christie’s |
| 3 | RM 56-01 Sapphire Tourbillon | $3.6 to $4.6 million | November 2022 | Christie’s |
| 2 | RM 53-02 Blue Sapphire Tourbillon | $4.5 million | October 2023 | Sotheby’s Hong Kong |
| 1 | RM 52-01 Skull Tourbillon, one-off | About $5.7 million | June 2022 | Antiquorum, Monaco |
10. RM 52-05 Pharrell Williams: about $1.6 million
The astronaut dial with Earth in the visor, in a brown ceramic case, from an edition of 30. It sold for HK$12.6 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in October 2023. A Rafael Nadal prototype, the RM 27-01 “PROTO 03”, matched it at about $1.6 million (CHF 1.3 million) in May 2024.
9. RM 56-02 Sapphire Tourbillon at Sotheby’s: about $1.8 million
The October 2017 sale of an example from around 2015, from an edition of ten, at HK$14.5 million. Seven years later a similar watch sold for roughly 70 percent more.
8. RM 38-02 Bubba Watson: about $2.0 million
Built to survive 10,000 G, with pink accents, from an edition of 50. It brought HK$15.6 million in October 2023 at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, about $2 million. Athlete models have a following that reaches well beyond watch collectors.
7. RM 001: about $2.1 million
The brand’s first model, a pink gold one-minute tourbillon, and reportedly Richard Mille’s own example. Christie’s sold it in November 2022 for CHF 2,094,000, about $2.1 million. When it launched in 2001 it was priced at about $135,000.
A database lists a higher figure including fees; we use the lower number.
6. RM 67-02 Charles Leclerc prototype: about $2.3 to $2.7 million
A one-off sold for charity in November 2021 for CHF 2.1 million, which is about $2.3 million. Databases that include fees list closer to $2.7 million. The proceeds went to Duchenne muscular dystrophy research, and the buyer got a one-off made for the Formula 1 driver.
5. RM S14 Talisman Origine: $2.6 to $3.0 million
A one-off made for a charity sale, designed as a pendant with a case in briar wood, red gold and titanium, and rhodonite beads. It is a pocket piece with an automatic tourbillon. Christie’s results put it at about $3.0 million in May 2024, while another list gives $2.6 million.
Sources differ on the sale format and exact date, so we show the range.
4. RM 56-02 AO Sapphire Tourbillon: about $3.0 million
A fully transparent case with the tourbillon suspended on a cable only 0.35 mm thick. Christie’s sold this example in June 2024 for $3,014,500. An earlier example went for $1.8 million at Sotheby’s in 2017, which tells you how far the model has moved in seven years.
3. RM 56-01 Sapphire Tourbillon: $3.6 to $4.6 million
One of five, with a sapphire baseplate and bridges so the movement seems to float. A database lists a Christie’s sale on November 6, 2022 at about $4.6 million. Another list gives $3.6 million for the same year.
We rank it third on either number. Whatever the exact total, premium treatment is the likely difference.
2. RM 53-02 Blue Sapphire Tourbillon: $4.5 million
The case alone takes about 1,000 hours to machine, and only eight were made. It sold for HK$35.5 million in October 2023 at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, about $4.5 million, which Sotheby’s lists as the highest price for a Richard Mille in its own sales.
It is the standout of the houses that publish results, because the figure comes straight from the auction house.
1. RM 52-01 Skull Tourbillon: about $5.7 million
Known as Vanitas Vanitatum, this is a brown sapphire watch whose bridges form a skull around the tourbillon. Only one exists. It sold at Antiquorum’s Monaco Watch Auction at the Monaco Yacht Club in 2022 for EUR 5.45 million, which converts to roughly $5.7 million at 2022 rates. Other lists print $6.9 million.
It is the only independent house win on this list. Every other entry comes from a large international auctioneer.
Our ranking uses the euro figure from the auction report, and we treat the higher figure as a possible fee-inclusive variant. At the low end it still leads.
Records set in 2025 and 2026
We found no new Richard Mille record in 2025 or 2026, and none of the verified top ten was set in those years. The 2024 sales are the most recent top tier results, along with a UP-01 Ferrari that sold for about $1.4 million at Christie’s New York in December 2024.
Hong Kong results in May 2026 show the middle of the market: an RM 022 at about $574,000 at Christie’s and an RM 014 at about $437,500 at Phillips, as reported by a results database. A rose gold RM 014 went for about $227,400 at Bonhams. In New York an RM 010 in white gold made about $114,300 at Phillips in April 2026.
What it costs new
Richard Mille publishes no price list. The company made about 5,300 watches in 2023, and waiting lists decide who gets one. Secondary sources put the RM UP-01 Ferrari, a 150-piece edition, at about $1.9 million new and the RM 56-02 sapphire at about $2.2 million. That puts the 2024 auction price of the 56-02 about 36 percent above its reported list price.
At the low end, the RM 033 Extra Flat is the most accessible pre-owned piece at about $76,000, and the median asking price on one dealer’s July 2026 listings was about $294,900. Sotheby’s says entry-level watches start around $80,000.
A note on how the auction record is kept
Richard Mille results are messy to compare. Some houses report the hammer, some the total with premium, and the currency of the sale changes the dollar figure by several percent depending on the day. A Hong Kong dollar result in October 2023 and a Swiss franc result in 2021 are not directly comparable without conversion, so where a figure is uncertain we show a range and rank it on the lower end of the plausible numbers.
Models also show up under several names. The brand’s unique pieces are often catalogued with a nickname, the model number, or the name of the person the piece was made for, which is how the same sale ends up listed three times in different lists. We have tried to merge these into one entry each.
What drives these prices
- One of one. The top rank is a unique watch. Three of the top six are one-offs.
- Sapphire. A transparent case takes about 1,000 hours to machine and is slow work. Five of the top ten are sapphire watches.
- Charity sales. Prices at benefit sales can run beyond the open market, because the cause adds to the pull.
- Athlete stories. The Leclerc, Bubba Watson and Pharrell watches carry a person, which lifts them above equivalent pieces.
- Rarity on paper. Editions of 5, 8 and 10 beat editions of 150 every time.
FAQ
What is the most expensive Richard Mille watch ever sold?
The one-off RM 52-01 Skull Tourbillon, sold at Antiquorum in Monaco in 2022 for about $5.7 million (EUR 5.45 million). Some lists quote $6.9 million.
What is the most expensive Richard Mille sold at Sotheby’s?
The RM 53-02 Blue Sapphire Tourbillon, which brought HK$35.5 million, about $4.5 million, in October 2023.
How much does a Richard Mille cost new?
There is no public list, but secondary sources put the UP-01 Ferrari at about $1.9 million and the RM 56-02 sapphire at about $2.2 million. Entry-level pre-owned pieces start around $76,000 to $80,000.
Did Richard Mille set a record in 2026?
We found none. Verified results from 2026 sit well below the top ten.
Why do sapphire models cost so much?
The case takes about 1,000 hours to machine, and editions are tiny.
Is a Richard Mille a good investment?
Prices for common models move with the market, and the median sale in one dataset covering 677 lots was about $125,000. The record prices belong to rare sapphire and one-off pieces.
How we put this list together
We ranked items by verified sale price, drawing on auction house results and disclosed sales compiled in an internal valuation model. Prices are approximate, depend on whether a buyer’s premium is included, and change as new records are set.
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Last updated: October 2026.
