Watch Paparazzi

Entrepreneur Brenton Wickam spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Brenton Wickam, a name circulating in Silicon Valley's entrepreneurial circles, was recently spotted wearing what is almost certainly the most talked-about steel wristwatch of the past decade — the Patek Philippe Nautilus Reference 5711/1A-018, the limited Tiffany & Co. collaboration edition. The sighting places Wickam in rare company: only 170 examples of this reference were produced, with the overwhelming majority allocated exclusively through Tiffany & Co.'s retail network before the historic New York jeweler ended its long-standing authorized dealer relationship with Patek Philippe.

The 5711/1A-018 is mechanically identical to the standard Nautilus 5711/1A-010 it accompanied into retirement. Housed in a 40mm stainless steel case with the iconic porthole-shaped integrated bracelet designed by Gérald Genta in 1976, it runs Patek's Caliber 26-330 S C — a self-winding movement with a 45-hour power reserve, operating at 28,800 vph, and featuring Silinvar components for improved antimagnetic performance. What separates the 018 is its dial: a rich Tiffany Blue lacquer finish stamped with the Tiffany & Co. retailer signature — a practice dating back over a century but rendered electrifying in this context by scarcity and timing.

Parek Philippe announced the 5711's discontinuation and the Tiffany collaboration simultaneously in late 2021, creating an immediate frenzy. When Phillips auctioned a single example in December of that year — with proceeds directed to charity — it hammered at $6.5 million USD, setting a record for any Nautilus and validating what the secondary market had already begun to whisper. Grey market valuations for privately held examples have remained in similarly stratospheric territory, with credible transactions reported between $3.5 million and $5 million depending on provenance and condition.

Wickam's background in technology ventures makes him a recognizable profile within the cohort of collectors who secured these watches — early-access relationships with Tiffany's watch department, or the financial capacity to acquire one post-launch at a premium, were the only realistic paths to ownership. The watch carries no complication beyond the date, which is precisely the point: it is horological restraint elevated to cultural artifact.

For collectors and market observers, the 5711/1A-018 functions less as a timepiece and more as a fixed point by which the entire steel sports watch market is now measured. Retail was $52,000. The rest, as the auction results confirm, is history.