Watch Paparazzi

Cricketer Virat Kohli spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Virat Kohli, India's most celebrated cricketer and a figure whose off-field style attracts as much scrutiny as his on-pitch statistics, was recently spotted on the wrist wearing the Patek Philippe Nautilus Annual Calendar Moon Phase in stainless steel — reference 5726/1A with its signature blue sunburst dial. For watch collectors, this sighting carries real weight: the 5726/1A sits firmly at the apex of the Nautilus family, and in steel it is among the most sought-after complications Patek Philippe produces.

The Nautilus 5726/1A is powered by Patek Philippe's Caliber 324 S QA LU 24H, a self-winding movement measuring 29.6mm in diameter and running at 28,800 vph with a 45-hour power reserve. The annual calendar mechanism — one of Patek's signature inventions, patented in 1996 — requires adjustment only once per year, at the end of February, distinguishing it from simpler date displays. The blue dial presents the date, day, month, moon phase, and a 24-hour day/night indicator with characteristic Patek precision and legibility. The case measures 40.5mm in 316L stainless steel with the integrated bracelet Gerald Genta designed for Patek in 1974, mirroring the original Nautilus proportions while accommodating the more complex movement architecture.

Among collectors, the 5726/1A in steel occupies a specific and durable position. It was discontinued by Patek Philippe in 2021 as part of the wider Nautilus portfolio reshuffle that accompanied the controversial retirement of the 5711/1A. That decision immediately hardened secondary market appetite, and the reference has maintained a premium roughly two to three times retail ever since. It is not a watch that appears at auction frequently, and when it does, competition is serious.

Kohli's relationship with fine watchmaking is well documented. He has been seen across multiple references from several maisons, but his choice of the 5726/1A signals genuine collector literacy rather than brand-label collecting. This is a technically sophisticated piece that rewards knowledge.

At retail the Patek Philippe Nautilus Annual Calendar 5726/1A carried a list price of approximately $54,930. On the current grey market, examples in steel with blue dial trade consistently around the $135,000 mark, reflecting both the reference's discontinued status and the enduring premium the Nautilus name commands globally.