Watch Paparazzi

Football manager Frank Lampard spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Frank Lampard, one of England's most decorated midfielders and now a seasoned football manager, was caught courtside — or rather pitchside — wearing what many collectors consider the pinnacle of mechanical chronography while observing England's Euro Group Stage encounter against Croatia. The watch on his wrist was no casual choice: the Patek Philippe Reference 5370P, a split-seconds chronograph in platinum that retails north of $300,000 and represents one of Geneva's most formidable horological achievements.

The Patek Philippe 5370P debuted at Baselworld 2015 and immediately established itself as a landmark reference. Powered by the in-house Calibre CHR 29-535 PS, the movement introduced a horizontal clutch for the split-seconds — or rattrapante — function, a mechanism Patek had not offered in a wristwatch for over 70 years prior to its reintroduction. The movement comprises 316 components and oscillates at 28,800 vph, delivering column-wheel control for both the standard chronograph and the independent rattrapante hand. The case measures 41mm in 950 platinum, and Lampard's specific configuration features a Grand Feu blue enamel dial — a dial that requires multiple kiln firings at over 800 degrees Celsius to achieve its extraordinary depth — paired with a coordinating blue alligator leather strap.

Among serious collectors, the 5370P occupies rare air. The split-seconds complication is among the most labour-intensive to produce; Patek makes the reference in extremely limited numbers, and waiting lists at authorised dealers have historically stretched years. Secondary market activity reflects that scarcity consistently. Unlike many modern references that depreciate upon purchase, the 5370P has shown strong value retention and, in certain configurations, meaningful appreciation.

Lampard, whose playing career at Chelsea and England cemented his status as one of the Premier League era's finest box-to-box midfielders, has long been associated with high-end horology. His taste here skews toward the technically exceptional rather than the decorative — the 5370P is first and foremost a complication watch, built to measure split intervals with mechanical precision.

On the open market, examples of the Patek Philippe 5370P in platinum command prices well above retail. With a list price of approximately $300,000, grey-market demand frequently pushes transactions beyond that figure, particularly for the blue enamel dial variant, which combines rarity of manufacture with exceptional dial craft.