![[Celebrity Collector] Inside Michelle Yeoh's Richard Mille Collection](https://blog.aristohk.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Aristo-Blog-Theme-Fatlee-15.webp)
Academy Award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh shares a profound bond with Richard Mille. A keen observer will easily notice that a Richard Mille timepiece is almost always gracing her wrist at major international film festivals, award ceremonies, and other significant events. Since their deep partnership officially commenced in 2011, she has served not merely as a long-standing friend of the brand and ambassador, but also as one of the few female partners to be deeply involved in the watch design process. In this article, we will take a retrospective look at Michelle Yeoh’s Richard Mille collection and the deep-rooted history they share.
Reviewing Michelle Yeoh's Richard Mille Collection
The Oscar-Winning Night: A Custom Diamond-Set RM07-02
At the 95th Academy Awards in 2023, Michelle Yeoh made history with Everything Everywhere All at Once, becoming the first Asian woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress. That night, wearing a pure white Dior Haute Couture gown, she adorned her wrist with a specially customized, diamond-set RM 07-02 Sapphire Crystal watch. The case of this timepiece is machined from a solid block of sapphire crystal, undergoing hundreds of hours of precision cutting and polishing. Diamonds are then flawlessly set into the sapphire crystal case. Its extreme hardness and translucent brilliance perfectly echoed her aura—a sublime blend of strength and grace.
Los Angeles Premiere of Crazy Rich Asians: The Unique RM 19-02 Tourbillon Fleur
At the Los Angeles premiere of the Hollywood blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians, Michelle Yeoh made a commanding entrance in a deep purple Armani Privé evening gown. The unique ruby version of the RM 19-02 Tourbillon Fleur on her wrist was equally captivating. This is a highly complex watch featuring an automaton mechanism; its hand-painted enamel magnolia petals elegantly bloom every five minutes, revealing the flying tourbillon hidden within. The RM 19-02 Tourbillon Fleur was originally a limited edition of 30 pieces, but the one Yeoh wore is a one-of-a-kind bespoke version set with an additional 15.16 carats of rubies, thoroughly demonstrating her unparalleled prestigious status and the brand’s immense adoration for her.
2023 Cannes Film Festival: RM037 Black Ceramic
At the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, Michelle Yeoh attended the premiere of Firebrand wearing a striking bright green Balenciaga Haute Couture gown, perfectly paired with the RM037 Black Ceramic. This timepiece features a scratch-resistant black high-tech ceramic case and is powered by the brand’s in-house CRMA1 skeletonized automatic movement, complete with an oversized date display. With her acute fashion sense, she boldly wore the watch directly over her black velvet gloves, exuding an aura of both elegance and edgy sophistication.
Forging an Indissoluble Bond
To explore the profound connection between Michelle Yeoh and Richard Mille, one must look to her husband—Jean Todt, former President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and former CEO of Ferrari. Mr. Richard Mille is a true motorsport fanatic. From the brand’s inception, he has been dedicated to integrating the lightweight structures, aerospace materials, and extreme shock-resistance technologies of Formula 1 racing into haute horlogerie. Bound by a shared passion for speed and mechanics, Mr. Richard Mille and Jean Todt established a deeply profound personal friendship. The brand even created several exclusive collaborative timepieces for Jean Todt, including the RM036 Tourbillon G-Sensor Jean Todt, the RM11-03 Jean Todt 50th Anniversary, and the RM58-01 Tourbillon World Timer Jean Todt. Introduced by her husband, Michelle Yeoh formally met Mr. Richard Mille, and the two hit it off immediately. The highly perceptive Mr. Richard Mille had already recognized Yeoh’s extraordinary talent, inviting her to become a Friend of the Brand as early as 2010. She thus became the first female Friend of the Brand in Richard Mille’s history, and ever since, RM watches have accompanied her through every pivotal moment in her life.
Beyond her love for cinema, Michelle Yeoh harbors a lesser-known secret: she has had a deep passion for watches since childhood, particularly large-sized men’s watches. She once mentioned in an interview: “The first gift my father gave me was a watch. Later, the first valuable item I bought for myself was also a watch. My love for watches stems from there, and I only wear large men’s watches. A watch is not just a tool for telling time, and I disagree that women should only wear small, petite watches.” This unconventional and independent view on horology keeps her from blindly following the traditional designs of women’s watches on the market, perfectly aligning with Richard Mille’s brand philosophy of breaking traditional frameworks and fearlessly embracing challenges.
This profound friendship, spanning over a decade, continues to flourish today. Recently, Richard Mille unveiled a new campaign film, The Dazzling Division, flawlessly presenting the captivating allure of the latest RM HJ-02 Automatic Tourbillon High Jewellery watch. This visually striking film stars Academy Award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh. On screen, she appears with poised elegance, wearing her beloved RM07-02 Sapphire Crystal watch, exuding a bold and independent feminine spirit. Adding to the pleasant surprise, the campaign was personally directed by Guillaume Mille, son of the brand’s founder. As a professional director and the founder of the production company MilleDollars, he has previously helmed numerous highly artistic image films for Richard Mille.
Michelle Yeoh and Richard Mille's Collaborative Masterpieces
A Magnificent Totem of Chinese Mythology: RM051 Phoenix-Jeweled Tourbillon
The first heavyweight masterpiece of their collaboration was the RM051 Phoenix-Jeweled Tourbillon, introduced in 2011. Yeoh understood that within the realm of high-end mechanical watches, tourbillon complications specifically designed for women were exceedingly rare. Therefore, she personally selected the “Phoenix” from Chinese mythology as the design motif, symbolizing women’s elegance, beauty, and power of rebirth. On the dial of the RM051, a phoenix meticulously sculpted from white gold and fully set with brilliant diamonds spreads its wings, its flowing lines enveloping the manual-winding tourbillon movement. Notably, the movement’s baseplate is crafted from extremely rare Black Onyx; this natural gemstone, known for its pure texture and deep, steady luster, establishes a profoundly mesmerizing visual effect for the entire skeletonized caliber.
Heroic Brothers: RM51-01 Tourbillon Tiger and Dragon
In 2014, to celebrate the release of Michelle Yeoh’s film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny, the two parties joined forces again to launch the RM51-01 Tourbillon Tiger and Dragon. This watch miniaturizes the majestic imagery of the “Tiger and Dragon” from traditional Chinese culture within its confined space. The dragon and tiger on the dial are entirely hand-engraved from 18K red gold. Artisans had to use extremely fine burins to outline the three-dimensional depth of the dragon’s scales and the texture of the tiger’s fur within a narrow space of just a few millimeters, followed by meticulous micro-painting. This created a dramatic visual scene: a tiger and a dragon firmly grasping the tourbillon movement. Merging the legendary aura of the wuxia (martial arts) world with haute horlogerie techniques, this watch has become an extremely rare and highly collectible treasure on the secondary market.
