Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Quavo spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Quavo, one half of the active Migos duo and a rapper with a well-documented appetite for serious horology, was recently spotted on the wrist with what appears to be a Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 5723/112R — a factory gem-set configuration that sits at the far end of Patek's Nautilus catalogue in terms of both rarity and finishing complexity.

The 5723/112R is built on the 40mm integrated-bracelet Nautilus platform that Gérald Genta designed in 1976, but it departs radically from the standard steel sports-watch aesthetic. Patek's Geneva workshops set 32 baguette-cut rubies channel-set into the characteristic porthole-shaped bezel — a process that requires each stone to be individually calibrated and matched for colour saturation and dimensions. The twelve hour positions are marked not with applied indices but with ruby cabochons, maintaining chromatic consistency across the entire dial. The case and bracelet are rendered in 18-karat rose gold, which deepens the red of the rubies considerably. Power comes from the Calibre 324 S C, Patek's 3Hz self-winding movement with a 45-hour power reserve, visible through the sapphire caseback.

From a collector standpoint, the 5723 family occupies a niche that few manufacturers can credibly claim: factory gem-setting on a legitimately complicated sports watch, executed without compromise. Patek does not outsource stone-setting on references of this tier. The ruby variant, designated 112R in the reference suffix, is produced in very limited numbers and seldom appears at retail — most pieces move directly to long-standing clients with established purchase histories.

Quavo has built one of hip-hop's more technically informed watch collections, with a documented preference for Patek Philippe, AP Royal Oak, and Richard Mille. Wearing the 5723/112R signals not just spending power but access — this is precisely the kind of allocation piece that requires a relationship with a boutique, not simply a budget.

At UK list price of approximately £180,000 — translating to roughly $225,000 USD at current rates — the 5723/112R is already positioned at the premium tier of the Nautilus range. On the secondary market, gem-set Nautilus references in rose gold with ruby or diamond configurations have commanded significant premiums over retail, with comparable examples trading well above £200,000 at major auction houses. Demand for factory-set Patek in any configuration has only tightened since 2021.