Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Dave spotted wearing Patek Philippe

UK rapper Dave — born David Orobosa Omoregie and better known as Santandave — was photographed wearing one of the most recognisable luxury sports watches in the world: the Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 5711/1A-010 in stainless steel with its signature blue horizontal-stripe dial. The sighting underscores the model's enduring grip on both high-end collectors and a younger, culturally influential generation of watch enthusiasts.

Designed by Gérald Genta and introduced in 1976, the Nautilus was a deliberate provocation — a luxury watch in steel, priced at a premium that shocked the market. The 5711 generation, launched in 2006, refined Genta's original porthole-inspired case to 40mm, housing the in-house Calibre 324 S C automatic movement. Beating at 28,800 vph with a 45-hour power reserve, the movement offers a date complication and is finished to the exacting standards expected of Geneva's most prestigious manufacture. The 5711/1A-010's blue sunburst dial, with its embossed horizontal relief and applied Patek Philippe baton indices, remains one of the most imitated dials in watchmaking history.

Patek Philippe officially discontinued the 5711/1A in January 2021, replacing it with the olive-dial 5711/1A-014 — a calculated limited farewell that sent secondary market prices into the stratosphere. The blue-dial 5711/1A-010 had already been near-impossible to acquire at retail for years; authorised dealers maintained waiting lists measured in years rather than months. Its discontinuation transformed an already coveted reference into a full-blown collector's icon, cementing its place alongside the Royal Oak 15202 and the Daytona 116500 as a benchmark of the modern stainless steel sports watch canon.

Dave is no casual observer of the watch world. The Mercury Prize-winning artist, whose 2019 album Psychodrama earned widespread critical acclaim, has cultivated a precise, considered public image. The choice of the Nautilus 5711/1A-010 over flashier alternatives speaks to a collector sensibility — this is a watch worn by those who understand the market, not merely follow it.

At a UK list price of £23,440, the 5711/1A-010 was already a significant purchase at retail. On the grey market today, verified examples routinely trade between $90,000 and $120,000 USD, reflecting sustained global demand that shows little sign of easing. For a discontinued reference with this level of cultural and horological pedigree, the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-010 remains one of the shrewdest — and most stylish — wrist choices a collector can make.