When Lionel Messi wrapped up his G.O.A.T India Tour, the celebrations didn’t quite end there. The football icon, along with Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, made a special stop at Vantara, the wildlife conservation centre hosted by Anant Ambani. While the evening was filled with warm exchanges and viral moments, luxury watchers had their eyes firmly fixed on Anant Ambani’s wrist.
Anant stuns in a rare timepiece
For the occasion, Anant kept his outfit relaxed, pairing a black shirt with denim, but elevated the look with one of the rarest watches ever made: the Richard Mille RM 056 Sapphire Tourbillon. Crafted within a five-watch limited run, the RM 056 features a fully transparent sapphire crystal case, carved from solid blocks after years of research, as mentioned by the brand's website.
Inside sits a manual-winding tourbillon movement that displays hours, minutes, split-seconds chronograph, power reserve and torque indicators, all visible thanks to its skeletonised design. The sapphire case isn't just for show; it's water-resistant up to 50 metres and secured with titanium spline screws. According to popular luxury watch tracker Superwatchman, the watch is valued at USD 5 million, roughly ₹45.59 crore.
A gift fit for a GOAT
The night became even more memorable when reports suggested that Anant gifted Messi a luxury watch of his own. Observers noted that Messi arrived at Vantara without a watch but later appeared wearing the Richard Mille RM 003-V2 GMT Tourbillon 'Asia Edition,' a striking black carbon timepiece limited to just 12 pieces worldwide.
Priced at USD 1.2 million (around ₹10.91 crore), the watch features a skeleton dial and dual time-zone function, making it both technically advanced and visually bold.
