When Lionel Messi’s wrist said more by saying nothing at all
The moment Lionel Messi stepped into Jamnagar without a watch on his wrist, seasoned luxury watchers knew something interesting was about to happen. For a man whose endorsements alone are worth hundreds of millions, an empty wrist is not an oversight, it is an open canvas. According to those present, the absence did not go unnoticed by Anant Ambani, a man whose relationship with haute horology borders on academic obsession. In the billionaire stratosphere, gaps are meant to be filled, preferably with carbon fiber, sapphire, and a tourbillon spinning at 6 o’clock. And just like that, a problem only the ultra-wealthy can recognize was solved in spectacular fashion.
What slid onto Messi’s wrist was not a safe, mainstream flex meant for Instagram algorithms. Reportedly, Ambani presented the Argentine legend with a Richard Mille RM 003 Asia Boutique, a watch that quietly terrifies collectors because of its scarcity. Limited to just 12 pieces worldwide, this early-era Richard Mille represents the period when the brand was still proving its technical credibility rather than chasing celebrity hype. Crafted in Carbon TPT, the tonneau-shaped case features layered carbon sheets cured under pressure, giving each example a striated pattern that can never be replicated. It is the kind of detail only insiders notice, which is precisely the point.
Inside the case sits a fully skeletonized movement with a tourbillon and a GMT complication, allowing the wearer to track multiple time zones while appreciating the ballet of high-end mechanics. For Messi, a man who lives between continents, training bases, and match venues, the GMT function feels almost poetically practical. Worth around $1.1 to $1.3 million in today’s market, depending on provenance and condition, the RM 003 is not loud money. It is educated money. And isn’t that the ultimate compliment one billionaire can offer another global icon?
Anant Ambani’s own wrist quietly rewrites the definition of excess
While Messi’s new acquisition was soaking up the spotlight, Anant Ambani’s own wrist was delivering a masterclass in quiet intimidation. He was wearing the Richard Mille RM 056 Sapphire Tourbillon, a watch that makes even seasoned collectors pause mid-sentence. Valued at around $5 million, the RM 056 features a fully transparent sapphire case that takes over 1,000 hours to machine, polish, and perfect. The movement appears to float inside, suspended by braided cables, turning the watch into a wearable engineering exhibit. This is not horology for the faint-hearted or the casually wealthy.
What makes the moment even more delicious is that this particular RM 056 is a one-of-one. There are no alternates, no boutique siblings, no “limited to five” footnotes to soften the blow. Ambani has worn this same piece before, most notably while accepting the Global Humanitarian Award for Animal Welfare, reminding the world that philanthropy and extreme luxury often share the same stage. According to insiders, the watch was never meant to be subtle, but it was always meant to be rare beyond reason. And rare, at this level, is the ultimate currency.
Placed side by side, the contrast between the two watches tells a story only insiders can read fluently. Messi received rarity, a 12-piece production that whispers taste and discernment. Ambani wore uniqueness, a singular object that exists outside conventional market logic. Two Richard Milles, two philosophies, one unspoken understanding of access. This was not about one-upmanship, but about signaling membership in a club where even the souvenirs require insurance riders.
Vantara, philanthropy, and the art of gifting at billionaire scale
The backdrop for this horological exchange was Vantara, Ambani’s sprawling wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation center in Jamnagar. Messi, joined by Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, was welcomed with traditional rituals, folk performances, and floral garlands before touring the facility. Images from the visit showed the footballers observing lions, tigers, and other rescued animals, guided by teams working on conservation and animal welfare. The tone was intentionally serious, grounded in purpose rather than spectacle. Yet luxury, as always, traveled quietly alongside.
This is hardly Anant Ambani’s first brush with extravagant gifting. During his wedding celebrations last year, he reportedly presented 25 close friends with limited-edition Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watches, each estimated to be worth around $250,000. At that scale, watches stop being accessories and start functioning as personal artifacts, markers of shared moments and inner-circle status. These are not gifts chosen in haste or for shock value. They are selected with the precision of someone who understands the emotional and financial language of haute horology.
Seen through that lens, gifting Messi a 12-piece Richard Mille during a private conservation visit feels almost inevitable. It is extravagant, yes, but also deeply considered and strategically appropriate. For a man who already has Ballons d’Or, World Cups, and lifetime endorsements, a jersey swap would have felt transactional. A seven-figure tourbillon, on the other hand, feels personal. When football royalty meets industrial-scale luxury, subtlety becomes optional, and memory-making becomes an art form.