Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Joshua King spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Joshua King, the Norwegian international footballer known for his stints at Bournemouth, Everton, and Watford, was recently photographed crouching outdoors wearing what is unmistakably a Patek Philippe Aquanaut Chronograph — specifically the Ref. 5968A-001, one of the most sought-after steel sports watches on the secondary market today. The vivid orange rubber strap and matching orange chronograph hand pop sharply against his light athletic jacket, making the identification straightforward even at photo distance.

Introduced at Baselworld 2018, the 5968A-001 features a 42.2mm stainless steel case with Patek's signature embossed 'Tropical' rubber strap in orange. The black dial carries a tachymeter scale, date window at 3 o'clock, and a single subdial at 6 o'clock for the chronograph minutes counter — a deliberately clean layout that keeps the complexity readable. The case exhibits the characteristic Aquanaut mix of brushed and polished surfaces, with integrated pushers at 2 and 4 o'clock flanking the crown.

At its heart beats the calibre CH 28-520, a manufacture movement featuring a flyback function — meaning the chronograph can be reset and restarted in a single pusher action rather than two. It delivers 65 hours of power reserve and beats at 28,800 vph. This is serious horology wrapped in a sports aesthetic, and it represents Patek's most accessible entry point into in-house chronograph territory — though 'accessible' is relative when grey-market premiums run wild.

For collectors, the 5968A occupies a fascinating position: it is a current-production Patek Philippe steel chronograph, a category historically commanding premiums of two to four times retail on the secondary market. Its retail price of approximately $37,920 USD has become almost a theoretical figure; in practice, buyers on the grey market routinely pay north of $200,000 for a clean example, placing it alongside vintage references in terms of financial gravity.

King's choice of the 5968A reflects a broader trend among professional footballers gravitating toward ultra-premium sports watches that balance wearability with collector cachet. The Aquanaut Chronograph achieves that balance as well as any watch in production today.