Watch Paparazzi

Football manager Carlo Ancelotti spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Carlo Ancelotti, the Italian tactician who has collected Champions League trophies with the same quiet efficiency that serious collectors accumulate great watches, was photographed wearing the Patek Philippe Nautilus Reference 5711/1A-010 during his time managing Bayern Munich. The sighting is no surprise — the 5711 has become the default choice for quietly powerful men who have nothing left to prove.

First introduced in 1976, the Nautilus was Gerald Genta's bold reimagining of what a luxury sports watch could be. The 5711/1A-010 — the definitive modern iteration — measures 40mm in stainless steel and houses the calibre 324 S C, an automatic movement with a 45-hour power reserve, running at 28,800 vph. The distinctive blue sunburst dial, horizontal relief pattern and integrated steel bracelet are details refined over decades, not designed by committee in an afternoon. Case finishing alternates between polished and brushed surfaces with a precision that remains genuinely difficult to replicate.

From a collector's standpoint, the 5711/1A-010 occupies rare territory. Patek Philippe announced the reference's discontinuation in January 2021, officially closing the book on what had become the most recognisable sports watch in the world. That decision, far from dampening interest, ignited one of the sharpest secondary market runs in recent memory. Waiting lists at authorised dealers had already stretched to years; after the announcement, the conversation moved entirely to the grey market.

Ancelotti's taste in watches mirrors his managerial philosophy — classical, authoritative, built on a foundation that needs no explanation. A man who has managed AC Milan, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich understands legacy. The Nautilus 5711, with its own unimpeachable legacy, fits naturally on his wrist.

At the time of the sighting, UK list price sat at approximately £17,800 — a figure largely academic given near-zero new availability. On the grey market, examples of the 5711/1A-010 continue to command significant premiums over retail, reflecting both the reference's discontinued status and its enduring desirability among serious collectors worldwide.