Watch Paparazzi

Royal Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani, son of the former Emir of Qatar and a figure well known in international sporting and cultural circles, has surfaced wearing what is arguably the most talked-about limited-edition wristwatch of the past decade: the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-018 in Tiffany Blue. The sighting makes him the first Arabic celebrity publicly documented wearing this reference — a footnote that carries real weight in the Gulf collecting world, where the Nautilus has long held aspirational status.

The 5711/1A-018 was released in late 2021 as the final curtain call for the reference 5711, Patek Philippe's cornerstone sports watch since 1976. Designed by Gérald Genta, the Nautilus carries its signature 40.05 mm cushion-shaped octagonal bezel, horizontal embossed dial, and integrated steel bracelet into this special edition unchanged — save for one decisive detail: a Tiffany-blue lacquered dial signed 'Tiffany & Co.' above the 6 o'clock position. Production was capped at exactly 170 pieces, one for each year of the partnership between Patek Philippe and the New York jeweler, first formalized in 1851. The movement inside is the Caliber 26-330 S C, a self-winding manufacture movement offering a 35–45 hour power reserve with a 28,800 vph beat rate, visible through the sapphire caseback.

From a collector standpoint, the 5711/1A-018 is in a category of its own. When the reference officially entered retirement, demand for the standard 5711 was already years ahead of supply. The Tiffany edition detonated on the secondary market: a single example sold at Phillips Geneva in December 2021 for CHF 6.5 million — with proceeds benefiting charitable causes — instantly reframing what a steel sports watch could fetch. The combination of historical closure, Genta iconography, institutional partnership, and extreme scarcity created a perfect collector storm.

Sheikh Joaan is no casual watch wearer. His public appearances frequently feature serious horological choices, and his spotting with the 5711/1A-018 reinforces the Gulf region's growing influence in high-end watch collecting — a market segment that major auction houses and boutiques have been actively courting for years.

At an official retail price of $52,500 USD, the 5711/1A-018 was already positioned as a premium over the standard 5711. On the grey market, examples have traded between $500,000 and well above $1 million depending on condition and provenance, placing this reference firmly beyond speculative territory and into the realm of generational collectibles.