Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Stormzy spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Stormzy, the South London rapper and cultural figurehead, was recently photographed wearing a Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5168G — a reference that has consistently punched above its retail weight since the moment Patek unveiled it at Baselworld 2018. The sighting was shared by The Swiss Collector, a verified Mondani Web trusted dealer, confirming the piece's authenticity.

The Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5168G is built around an 18k white gold 40.8mm case, water-resistant to 120 metres, and houses the in-house Calibre 324 S C — a self-winding movement with a 45-hour power reserve, Gyromax balance wheel, and Spiromax overcoil hairspring. The defining aesthetic choice is the khaki green dial, a composite that uses the Aquanaut's signature embossed «Tropical» pattern and pairs it with a colour that reads differently in every light — olive in shade, near-military green in sun. It ships on a matching olive-khaki composite strap with a white gold ardillon buckle.

The 5168G occupies a specific and contested corner of Patek Philippe collecting. The Aquanaut line, introduced in 1997, was always the younger, more accessible sibling to the Nautilus — but the 5168G complicated that narrative. White gold sports watches from Patek carry an almost inherent tension: the material elevates the piece away from its tool-watch DNA, yet the execution here never tips into ostentation. Collectors noted quickly that the green-dial, white-gold formula produced one of the most wearable watches in the modern Patek catalogue.

Stormzy's relationship with serious horology is well documented. The Mercury Prize winner and Glastonbury headliner has been spotted across a range of significant references, but the 5168G is a considered choice — not the most obvious flex, which is precisely the point. It signals fluency in the language of the market rather than a simple desire for a recognisable logo.

At retail, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5168G lists at approximately $36,300 USD. On the grey market, demand for white gold sports Pateks has kept the 5168G trading meaningfully above that figure. It remains one of the more liquid references in the Aquanaut family for collectors looking to move pieces with confidence.