Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Arda Turan spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Spotted on the wrist of Arda Turan during his high-profile stint at FC Barcelona, the Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Chronograph in stainless steel — reference 5960/1A — is precisely the kind of watch that separates a genuine collector from someone simply spending large. It is not the flashiest choice, but among those who know, it may be the most impressive.

Debuted at Baselworld 2006, the ref. 5960 represented a landmark for Patek Philippe: the calibre CH 28-520 IRM QA 24H, developed entirely in-house, was the first movement to integrate a flyback chronograph mechanism with an annual calendar complication in a single, cohesive architecture. The annual calendar — one of Patek's signature complications since the ref. 5035 introduced it in 1996 — requires only one manual correction per year, at the end of February, intelligently distinguishing between 30- and 31-day months. The flyback chronograph, meanwhile, allows the elapsed-time hand to be reset and restarted with a single pusher operation rather than three. The 40.5mm case in 316L stainless steel houses this movement behind a sapphire caseback, with the slate-grey dial offering subsidiary dials for the date, day, month, and 24-hour indicator alongside the chronograph registers.

From a collector's standpoint, the 5960/1A occupies a singular position. Patek Philippe produces the 5960 family in yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, and platinum — but the steel reference consistently attracts the most aggressive grey-market premiums, a pattern that mirrors what collectors have observed with the Nautilus and Aquanaut families. Steel Patek complications are produced in strictly limited numbers, and the 5960/1A has never been easy to acquire at retail.

Arda Turan, the Turkish international midfielder who joined Barcelona from Atlético Madrid in 2015, has long demonstrated an appetite for serious watchmaking. His choice of the 5960/1A rather than a more overtly conspicuous piece — say, a bejewelled tourbillon or an oversized sports watch — reflects a collector's sensibility. This is a watch chosen for what it does, not merely what it costs.

At UK list price of approximately £37,040, the Patek Philippe 5960/1A is already a significant investment. On the grey market, however, demand consistently pushes values well beyond retail, making authorised acquisition the real challenge. For collectors able to source one, it remains among the most technically complete wristwatches available at anything approaching its official price point.