Watch Paparazzi

Pilot Lewis Hamilton spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Lewis Hamilton has long established himself as one of the most serious watch collectors in professional motorsport, and a recent sighting confirms he is not shy about reaching for the upper shelf. The seven-time Formula 1 World Champion was spotted wearing an 18K rose gold Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 5711R — a combination of sporting design and precious metal that places this piece firmly at the apex of the Nautilus family.

The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711R shares the same foundational DNA as the entire 5711 generation: Gerald Genta's porthole-inspired integrated bracelet design, first introduced in 1976 and refined continuously across decades. The 5711R measures 40mm in 18K rose gold, housing the manufacture's Calibre 315 SC — a self-winding movement with a 45-hour power reserve, oscillating at 21,600 vph, and finished to the exacting standards expected of Geneva Seal certification. The warm champagne-toned dial, which pairs naturally with the rose gold case, features the Nautilus's signature horizontal embossed relief and applied baton indices.

From a collector's standpoint, the 5711R occupies a specific and prestigious niche. While the stainless steel 5711/1A dominated headlines — and grey-market price records — before Patek Philippe controversially retired the reference in 2021, the rose gold variant always commanded a different kind of respect: lower production volumes, a more formal character, and a price point that filtered the audience considerably. It never attracted the same speculative frenzy as steel, which paradoxically makes it the more considered, and arguably more authentic, collector choice.

Hamilton's affinity for high-horology is well documented. He has been photographed with pieces spanning Richard Mille, Rolex, and IWC across his career, but a rose gold Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711R signals a deliberate move toward the connoisseur tier — a watch worn for its craft as much as its cultural cachet.

At UK list price the 5711R sat around £35,000, though with the broader 5711 family now discontinued and grey-market appetite for all Nautilus references elevated, current transaction prices for the rose gold variant run meaningfully above retail. For a watch this scarce and this storied, Hamilton's choice is difficult to argue with.