Politician Sergio Mattarella spotted wearing a Patek Philippe

An archival photograph of Sergio Mattarella, the 12th President of the Italian Republic, reveals a detail easily overlooked on a statesman of his reserved disposition — a Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse in 18k yellow gold, reference 3738/100J-012, its characteristic ovoid silhouette unmistakable against the cuff. The image is a quiet reminder that genuine horological taste rarely announces itself.

Patek Philippe introduced the Ellipse in 1968, at a moment when the Swiss industry was beginning to experiment with unconventional case shapes. Where competitors reached for the angular and the avant-garde, Patek Philippe turned to antiquity. The case proportions of the Golden Ellipse are governed by the Golden Ratio — phi, approximately 1.618 — the mathematical constant identified by ancient Greek geometers and present throughout natural forms and Renaissance art. Reference 3738/100J-012 houses the manufacture's Calibre 240, a peripheral-rotor automatic movement measuring just 2.53mm in height, one of the thinnest self-winding calibres ever produced. It oscillates at 21,600 vph and offers a 48-hour power reserve. The blue soleil dial — radially brushed to catch light in shifting gradations — has become the defining aesthetic of the line since its earliest iterations.

Among collectors, the Golden Ellipse occupies a particular position: it is a Patek Philippe that rewards knowledge over flash. Vintage references from the late 1960s and 1970s, particularly those in yellow gold with blue dials, command serious auction attention, with clean examples regularly exceeding estimates at Christie's and Phillips. The 3738 reference family represents the modern continuation of that tradition, maintaining the proportions and spirit of the original while meeting contemporary finishing standards.

Mattarella, who has served as Head of State since 2015 and was re-elected in 2022, projects an image of institutional gravitas and personal austerity. His choice of the Golden Ellipse is consistent with that persona — it is a watch for someone who understands what they are wearing and requires no one else to recognize it.

Retail pricing for the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 3738/100J-012 sits at the lower threshold of the yellow gold Patek catalogue, though grey market premiums have grown steadily as demand for dress watches with genuine design provenance continues to strengthen among younger collectors.