Entrepreneur Mohamad Al Refaai spotted wearing a Patek Philippe

Saudi entrepreneur Mohamad Al Refaai, CEO of Al Rifaie Interior, an architecture and interior design firm, was recently photographed wearing the Patek Philippe Nautilus Chronograph ref. 5980/1AR-001 — a watch that sits comfortably among the most coveted references in contemporary horology. The sighting underscores a broader pattern among high-profile professionals in the Gulf region who treat serious watchmaking as an extension of design sensibility.

The Nautilus ref. 5980/1AR-001 pairs a 40.5mm two-tone case — stainless steel with rose gold bezel, crown, and caseback — with one of Patek Philippe's most accomplished movements. The calibre CH 28-520 C is a self-winding flyback chronograph movement beating at 28,800 vph, offering a power reserve of approximately 55 hours. The gradient blue dial, arranged in the Nautilus's signature horizontal embossed pattern, carries applied rose gold hour markers, a chronograph register at 6 o'clock, and a date window at 3 o'clock. Water resistance is rated to 120 metres — a nod to the original sports watch brief Gerald Genta executed for Patek Philippe in 1976.

The 5980 was introduced in 2006 as the first self-winding chronograph in the Nautilus family, representing a significant movement milestone for the manufacture. The 1AR variant, combining stainless steel and rose gold with a blue dial, has consistently proved the most visually arresting execution of the reference. Collectors regard it as a benchmark two-tone sports-luxury watch, combining Genta's enduring case architecture with genuine in-house chronograph complications.

Al Refaai leads a firm whose work spans architectural and interior projects across Saudi Arabia, positioning him within the Kingdom's expanding class of design-forward executives. The Nautilus 5980/1AR-001 reads naturally on that wrist — a watch whose engineering depth matches its visual authority, appealing precisely to those who appreciate construction as much as aesthetics.

At an official retail price of approximately $67,000 USD, the Nautilus ref. 5980/1AR-001 commands a substantial premium on the secondary market, with grey-market values currently hovering around $140,000 USD — reflecting persistent demand and constrained allocation that has defined the Nautilus family for well over a decade.