Introducing NBA Superstar LeBron James Just Dropped A New Richard Mille RM65-01 Split-Seconds Chronograph

In a surprise move, LeBron James has taken his talents to Richard Mille for the first-ever collaboration between one of watchmaking's most in-demand brands and any NBA player. And what a star to collaborate with: one of, if not the greatest basketball player of all time, the man from Akron, Ohio, LeBron Raymone James Sr. The new RM65-01 Selfwinding Split-seconds Chronograph "LeBron James," limited to 150 pieces, was revealed this weekend on the wrist (and Instagram) of King James at Fanatics Fest.

Just like the recent RM72-01, which Charles LeClerc showcased his Monegasque heritage and Ferrari relationship, LeBron has incorporated a bit of himself and his team into the watch. 

There are splashes of yellow in some of the accents, including the pushers and the crown, as well as the yellow Quartz TPT midcase on the watch, the outline around the dial, and one of the chronograph hands. There's purple for the other chronograph hand and around the dial for the reference marks for the tachymeter scale. That takes care of the Lakers' colors. However, there's also a lot of green on the watch, including the date window, hour markers, parts of the pushers, and even the LeBron James logo at 12 o'clock.

While there is no confirmation on what the green alludes to, our best guess is that it pays homage to his high school alma mater, St. Vincent-St. Mary, whose colors are green and gold. The last touch from Bron is his signature in purple on the caseback, which slightly obscures the automatic Caliber RMAC4 movement. 

That movement features all the bells and whistles of what was, until recently, Richard Mille's most outrageous split-second chronograph (hours, minutes, seconds, date, split-seconds chronograph, function selector, rapid winding, and variable-geometry rotor, with around 60 hours (±10%) of power reserve without chronograph running). Sure, the crown was usurped by the Richard Mille RM43-01 Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph Ferrari, but the RM65-01 is still a totally wild watch.

The watch measures 44.5mm x 49.94mm and is 16.1mm thick, and costs just a tad bit over $400,000. But the measurements, specs, price, or anything besides the watch and the man behind it probably won't matter much to buyers. With only 150 of them (and 450 players in the NBA alone), these watches are likely already sold out. To find out, you can hit up your Richard Mille boutiques worldwide.

LeBron James is a real watch lover. He's got everything from buckets of Richard Mille to high-end Patek, the Tiffany Nautilus, and many, many Audemars Piguet watches. In fact, this isn't his first watch collaboration; twelve years ago, he dropped an official release of 600 gold AP Offshores with his name attached. In fact, because of the close ties between APRP (the technical arm of Audemars Piguet) and Richard Mille, it makes sense that the best place to collaborate with after AP would be RM.

I heard about this launch from sources a few weeks ago and was waiting patiently to see what it looked like. Frankly, I didn't expect the bold choice of colors LeBron went with here. I actually have to give credit to LeBron for being a thoughtful collector, with many of his pieces not being loud for the sake of it, unlike some celebrities of his status. This, however, is maximalist in the way that LeClerc decided to go with his recent release, and why not? If you're going to do it once, do it up—wear your heart, or your team allegiance, on your sleeve. 

Brand: Richard Mille
Model: RM 65-01 Split-Seconds Chronograph

Diameter: 44.5mm x 49.94mm
Thickness: 16.1mm
Case Material: Black Carbon TPT and Yellow Quartz TPT
Dial Color: Skeletonized dial with green indices and LeBron James logo at 12 o'clock, purple, and yellow accents
Indexes: Printed and applied (outer track)
Lume: Hands, dial, indices
Water Resistance: 50m
Strap/Bracelet: Rubber textile strap

Caliber: RMAC4
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, split-seconds chronograph, function selector, rapid winding and variable-geometry rotor
Diameter: 31.78 x 29.98 mm
Thickness: 8.69 mm
Power Reserve: Around 60 hours (±10%) without chronograph running
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 36,000 vph (5 Hz)
Jewels: 51

Price: $405,040
Availability: Available at Richard Mille boutiques globally
Limited Edition: Yes, 150 pieces

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