Watch Paparazzi

Golfer Don Scotty Cameron spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Scotty Cameron, the California-based putter designer whose blades have accompanied players to dozens of major championships, was recently spotted wearing one of the most technically ambitious watches in the Patek Philippe sports catalogue — the Nautilus Perpetual Calendar reference 5740/1G-001 in white gold with a blue dial. For a craftsman whose entire reputation rests on precision and refinement, the choice reads as entirely deliberate.

The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5740/1G-001 debuted at Baselworld 2018 and represented a long-awaited milestone: a perpetual calendar complication integrated into the 40mm Nautilus case for the very first time. The watch is powered by caliber 240 Q, an ultra-thin self-winding movement measuring just 3.28mm in height, fitted with a 22k gold micro-rotor. The perpetual calendar module displays date, day, month, four-digit year, and moon phase across a crisp blue gradient dial, with the characteristic horizontal embossed pattern Patek has maintained on the Nautilus since Gerald Genta drew the original ref. 3700 in 1976.

From a collector standpoint, the 5740/1G-001 occupies rare ground. Patek Philippe discontinued the reference in 2021 — a decision that, combined with already-tight production volumes during its active years, made examples almost immediately scarce on the secondary market. White gold, as the sole case material offered, adds to the exclusivity. The reference is widely regarded as one of the most successful grand complication Nautilus variants ever produced, rewarding those who secured one at list price with both horological substance and significant market appreciation.

Scotty Cameron founded his eponymous putter studio under the Titleist umbrella in the early 1990s, and his instruments have since become objects of near-obsessive collector culture in their own right — limited releases sell out within minutes and trade at multiples of retail on the secondary market. The parallel with the watch world is hard to ignore.

At a European list price of approximately €113,800 (roughly $122,000 at current rates), the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5740/1G-001 was already a significant investment at retail. On the grey market today, discontinued status and sustained demand push authenticated examples toward $180,000–$220,000 depending on condition and provenance, cementing its status as one of the more compelling Nautilus references to own.