Ambani’s Heart-Warming Welcome for Messi
Lionel Messi recently arrived in India to an unusually warm and personal welcome. Beyond official appearances, his visit included private interactions with some of the country’s most influential families and a firsthand look at India’s cultural depth. While India has traditionally been a cricket-first nation, a growing generation of young fans has embraced football, and for many of them, one name has always stood above the rest: Messi.
During his visit to India, Messi met Anant Ambani, one of the country’s most prominent young business leaders. After the globally watched Ambani wedding celebrations, which redefined the scale and spectacle of private events in India, the family once again chose to host something personal rather than performative. Messi was invited to Vantara, the wildlife rescue, care, and rehabilitation initiative established by the Reliance Foundation.
While there, he took part in a traditional puja, a gesture of respect in Indian culture, and later toured the facility, where images of him posing with a tiger quickly drew global attention.
The News-Making $1.2 million Gift: Richard Mille RM 003
In India, welcoming a guest is often accompanied by a meaningful gesture. There is a well-known phrase, Atithi Devo Bhava, which translates to “the guest is akin to God,” and hospitality is taken seriously. In that spirit, Anant Ambani chose to mark the meeting with a gift that would carry lasting meaning. A known watch collector himself, his instinct naturally turned toward a Richard Mille. The choice had to be exceptional. Messi is no ordinary guest.
Reports suggest that the watch selected was a highly limited Richard Mille, widely believed to be the RM 003-V2 Asia Edition, a piece limited to just 12 examples worldwide, making it as rare as it is symbolic.
One of the reasons the gift resonated so strongly with collectors and fans alike is what the watch actually is. The watch Messi received is reportedly the Richard Mille RM003 CA GMT Tourbillon NTPT Asia Edition, a variant of the Richard Mille RM 003-V2 that stands out. Originally introduced as a dual-time-zone tourbillon, the RM 003 was an early example of Richard Mille’s philosophy.
The RM 003-V2 movement features a manual-winding tourbillon with hours, minutes, a power-reserve indicator, torque indicator and second time-zone display, which is all visible through the skeletonized dial that showcases the complexity beneath. The “Asia Edition” takes this further with an ultra-light Carbon TPT or NTPT case and finishing that reflects both futuristic design and collector-level exclusivity. Limited to an extremely small number of pieces it represents not just a functional masterpiece but a collectible icon in modern watchmaking.
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Anant Ambani’s Attention-Grabbing $5 Million Richard Mille
Meeting Lionel Messi is a moment most football fans only dream of, and even for someone of Anant Ambani’s stature, the occasion called for his best. While the Ambani family is known for dressing with flair at major events, Anant often lets his watch do the talking. For this meeting, he chose a piece that was impossible to ignore. He was spotted wearing the Richard Mille RM 056 Sapphire, featuring orange accents and a matching orange rubber strap.
Crafted with a fully transparent sapphire case and believed to be a one-of-one configuration, the watch sits among the rarest creations Richard Mille has ever produced. With no true market equivalent, its value is widely estimated at around $5 million, roughly AED 18.3 million, placing it firmly in the realm of horological unicorns.
