Watch Paparazzi

Writer Giorgia Mondani spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Giorgia Mondani, Italian author of some of the most authoritative reference books on Rolex and Patek Philippe, was spotted wearing a Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5713/1G — a timepiece so scarce that its public appearances are genuinely noteworthy, even on the wrist of someone who handles rare watches professionally.

The Nautilus ref. 5713/1G sits within a short-lived and sparsely documented segment of the Nautilus family. Built on a 40mm case crafted in 18-carat white gold, the watch presents a grey/dark blue dial — a color that shifts character depending on light, a hallmark of the best Nautilus dials — and carries 48 brilliant round-cut diamonds set into the horizontally integrated bezel. The movement powering the 5713 is the Patek Philippe caliber 315 S C, a self-winding manufacture movement with a central rotor, offering a power reserve of approximately 45 hours, hours, minutes, seconds, and date display. The integrated bracelet, as with all Nautilus models, is part of the original Gerald Genta design brief from 1976 — function and aesthetics inseparable.

The reference 5713 in precious metal with factory diamond setting occupies a distinct collector tier. Unlike the stainless steel 5711 or 5712, which drove the modern Nautilus frenzy, the 5713/1G was produced in very small numbers and never achieved the same retail visibility. That scarcity, combined with the prestige of white gold and the factory-set stones, makes auction appearances events in themselves. The Phillips Watches sale in 2019, where this specific example realized $160,000 USD, underlines how the market values these transitions between sport and jewellery watchmaking.

Mondani's wearing of this piece is not celebrity spectacle — it is context. As the author behind the definitive Patek Philippe and Rolex encyclopedias, her relationship with important watches is documentary as much as personal. When she puts on a ref. 5713/1G, it reads less as a flex and more as a field researcher's primary source.

On the current grey market, examples of the Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5713/1G command significant premiums above their original retail positions, consistent with the broader appreciation of white gold Nautilus references. For collectors, the combination of factory diamonds, precious metal, and ultra-low production numbers places this reference in a category where price discovery remains genuinely difficult — and genuinely high.