Formula 1 superstar Charles Leclerc reportedly had his $320,000 Richard Mille watch snatched right from his wrist during a photo op with fans in Italy ... but thankfully, the driver was allegedly unharmed.

Leclerc -- who's off to an incredible 2022 for Ferrari and sitting atop the driver standings -- was with his friends and trainer, Andrea Ferrari, in Viareggio on Monday when the incident happened, according to the report.

Motorsport.com says the 24-year-old was walking around Via Salvatori at 10 PM when he was recognized by fans, who asked for a pic.

After posing for a shot with the group, Leclerc realized his watch was taken ... and reported it to police.

Andrea went to social media shortly after the alleged theft to complain about the area being poorly lit ... calling for the street lamps to get fixed.

Of course, Leclerc has had a partnership with RM for years ... and even has his own signature watch. On top of that, Richard Mille became an official sponsor for Leclerc's Ferrari team ... so it won't be too hard to get a replacement.

Leclerc is in Italy for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix ... which is set to go down on Sunday.

Scary situation ... but the guy was back to meeting with fans just hours later -- posing for pics, although it's unclear if he was wearing any extra jewelry.

We've reached out to Ferrari for comment ... so far, no word back.