Watch Paparazzi

Designer Victoria Beckham spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Victoria Beckham was recently spotted wearing one of Patek Philippe's most technically demanding joaillerie pieces: the Nautilus 7118/1300R-001 in 18-carat rose gold, a 35 mm reference that sits at the intersection of gem-setting craft and the iconic Gerald Genta-designed sports case architecture.

The Patek Philippe Nautilus 7118 is the ladies' variant of the Nautilus family, introduced to offer the octagonal porthole bezel and integrated bracelet in a 35 mm format suited to a wider range of wrists. Reference 7118/1300R-001 elevates that platform significantly: 68 baguette-cut spessartites encircle the bezel, each stone individually calibrated to follow the case's angular geometry — a setting process that demands far more labour than round brilliants. The dial carries 11 ogival-shaped spessartites at the hour positions, their cognac warmth echoing the rose gold case without competing with it. Spessartite garnet, a magnesium-aluminium garnet variety, is selected here for its exceptional refractive index and the depth of its orange-to-cognac colour range, which pairs unusually well with rose gold's warm undertones.

From a collector standpoint, the Nautilus joaillerie references occupy a distinct and underappreciated niche. They are built on the same Cal. 324 S C movement — a self-winding manufacture calibre with a 45-hour power reserve and Gyromax balance — as the steel sports references, meaning the watchmaking credentials are genuine rather than decorative. The 7118/1300R-001 is produced in very limited numbers, and gem-set Nautilus pieces with coloured stones rather than diamonds have historically attracted a collector profile that values rarity alongside wearability.

Victoria Beckham's choice reads as characteristically considered. As a designer working across fashion and beauty, she gravitates toward objects that carry craft credibility, and the 7118/1300R-001 offers exactly that: a piece with a documented manufacture movement, a recognisable and historically significant case design, and gem-setting work that would be assessed seriously in a haute joaillerie context.

At an official retail price of $185,000 USD, the Patek Philippe Nautilus 7118/1300R-001 sits firmly in the maison's prestige joaillerie tier. Grey-market availability is extremely limited given production volumes, and secondary market transactions for coloured-stone Nautilus variants have consistently held near or above retail — a reflection of both Patek Philippe's brand discipline and genuine demand for this specific combination of case, movement, and stones.