Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Thomas Muller spotted wearing Patek Philippe

At a Bayern Munich press conference, Thomas Muller appeared on camera with a familiar integrated bracelet peeking from his cuff — the Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 5711/1A-011 in stainless steel with a white dial. The sighting is low-key by celebrity standards, but the watch itself is anything but.

Patek Philippe introduced the Nautilus in 1976, designed by Gerald Genta and inspired by a porthole's rounded octagonal shape. The reference 5711 arrived in 2006 as the modern reinterpretation of the original 3700, measuring 40mm in steel with the brand's signature integrated bracelet and horizontal relief dial. The 5711/1A-011 specifically carries a white sunburst dial — a subdued alternative to the more common blue and green variants — lending it a certain understated elegance that serious collectors appreciate. Inside sits Patek's Calibre 324 S C, a self-winding movement with a 45-hour power reserve, beating at 28,800 vph, and decorated to the manufacture's exacting standards.

Patek Philippe discontinued the entire 5711 line in January 2021, sending the secondary market into a frenzy that has never fully subsided. The white-dial 5711/1A-011 is considered the rarest of the trio (alongside blue and olive green), produced in comparatively limited numbers and almost never seen at retail. Its discontinuation cemented the 5711's status as a modern grail watch, and acquiring one through official channels was nearly impossible long before production ceased.

Muller, one of Europe's most decorated footballers with multiple Bundesliga titles and a Champions League to his name, has shown consistent taste in high-end watchmaking. Choosing the 5711/1A-011 over flashier haute horlogerie alternatives suggests genuine engagement with the hobby rather than pure status signaling — the white dial is a collector's choice, not a billboard.

On the grey market, the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-011 currently trades well above the original UK list price of £23,440. Secondary values sit firmly in six-figure territory in USD, making it one of the highest-performing stainless steel sports watches in the world by appreciation metrics. Retail is academic — you simply cannot buy one new.