Pilot Dani Clos spotted wearing a Artisans De Genève

Spotted at what appears to be an Inter Miami CF fixture, Spanish racing driver Dani Clos leaned in for a candid family moment — and on his wrist sat one of the most technically ambitious Nautilus customs currently in circulation. The piece is Artisans De Genève's Pearl Project, a bespoke reworking of the stainless steel Patek Philippe Nautilus that replaces the standard integrated bezel with a sculpted forged carbon unit and opens the dial entirely to expose the movement architecture beneath.

Artisans De Genève, the Geneva-based independent atelier founded by Florian Güllert, built its reputation on exactly this kind of intervention. The workshop sources authentic Patek Philippe Nautilus references, fully disassembles the watch, and performs extensive skeletonization on the movement and dial plate before reassembling with bespoke components. On the Pearl Project, the forged carbon bezel — distinguished by its characteristic marbled, high-contrast surface — provides a visual counterpoint to the brushed and polished stainless steel case and integrated bracelet, both retained from the original Nautilus. The skeleton dial reveals the going-train architecture with rose-gold-treated bridges and a visible balance wheel, retaining the Patek Philippe Genève signature on the movement bridge.

From a collector's standpoint, the Pearl Project occupies a complicated but fascinating niche. It is not a Patek Philippe product — Patek Philippe does not endorse or authorize such modifications — yet it begins life as a genuine Nautilus, meaning the base watch alone commands significant market value before a single modification is made. Artisans De Genève typically produces these commissions in extremely limited numbers, often as single-piece or micro-series projects, which compounds exclusivity further.

Dani Clos, a veteran of Formula 2 and various endurance racing programs, has cultivated a reputation as a genuine watch enthusiast within motorsport circles. His choice of a piece that blends engineering transparency with bespoke craftsmanship reads as consistent with both his professional background and his personal aesthetic.

Pricing for Artisans De Genève commissions is negotiated privately, but given that a standard steel Nautilus 5711 or 5726 alone trades on the grey market well above list, a fully skeletonized Pearl Project commission — materials, labor, and scarcity included — comfortably enters six-figure territory on the secondary market.