Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Alexandre Pato spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Alexandre Pato, the Brazilian forward who dazzled at AC Milan before stints across Europe and MLS, was recently photographed wearing one of the most talked-about watches of the last decade: the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-018 with Tiffany Blue dial. For a reference that was already a grail piece before this edition existed, being spotted on a footballer of Pato's caliber underscores how deeply the Nautilus has embedded itself in global sporting culture.

The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-018 was released in December 2021 as a joint commemoration of Tiffany & Co.'s 170th anniversary — hence the strictly limited run of 170 pieces worldwide. The watch shares the same 40mm stainless steel Nautilus case designed by Gerald Genta in 1976, with the signature porthole bezel, horizontally embossed dial, and integrated bracelet. What sets this reference apart is the arresting Tiffany Blue sunburst dial paired with a double signature reading both 'Patek Philippe' and 'Tiffany & Co.' — a combination last seen on Patek dials in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Beneath the case beats caliber 26-330 S C, a self-winding movement offering a 45-hour power reserve with a date complication and Patek's Gyromax balance.

From a collector standpoint, the 5711/1A-018 is a generational piece. The standard 5711/1A was already discontinued in January 2021, sending aftermarket values skyward. The Tiffany Blue edition arrived at the end of that same year with an official retail of $52,635 — and immediately traded hands at multiples that shocked even seasoned market watchers. One example sold at Phillips in December 2021 for $6.5 million, with proceeds going to charity, instantly establishing a mythological price ceiling.

Pato, who built a reputation as one of football's most gifted natural talents, has long had an affinity for serious horology. Wearing the Nautilus 5711/1A-018 signals not just wealth but informed taste — this is not a watch you stumble across; it requires relationships, patience, or a very deliberate secondary market purchase.

On the grey market, surviving examples of the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-018 Tiffany Blue rarely surface below $500,000, and pristine, unworn examples with full documentation command considerably more. With only 170 units ever made, liquidity is effectively zero unless a serious collector decides to part ways. This is, by any measure, one of the most scarce and historically resonant steel sports watches ever produced.