Rapper JoeyStarr spotted wearing a Patek Philippe

French rapper and actor JoeyStarr — born Didier Morville, one half of NTM, arguably the most influential hip-hop act in French music history — made a quietly spectacular wrist statement during his appearance on Top Gear France, the locally produced adaptation of the British motoring institution. On his wrist: a Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 5711G, the white gold variant of one of the most coveted sport watches ever made.

The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 is the direct descendant of Gerald Genta's 1976 original, reference 3700, which introduced the notion of the luxury integrated-bracelet sports watch. The 5711 generation, launched in 2006, measures 40mm in diameter and houses Patek's Calibre 324 S C — a 212-component self-winding movement with a 45-hour power reserve, oscillating at 28,800 vph, decorated to the manufacture's exacting in-house standards. The 5711G swaps the far more common stainless steel case and bracelet for 18k white gold, fitted with a deep blue dial that intensifies the horizontally embossed 'Clous de Paris' pattern. The reference was discontinued in 2021 alongside the steel 5711/1A, making both variants effectively impossible to source through retail channels.

Among collectors, the 5711G occupies a peculiar position: more exclusive than the steel reference by virtue of material, yet paradoxically less mythologised, since the steel 5711 carries the cultural weight of being famously unobtainable for ordinary retail customers. The white gold version was always an allocation piece reserved for the most loyal Patek clients, produced in far smaller numbers and priced accordingly. Post-discontinuation, both references have surged dramatically on the secondary market.

JoeyStarr's taste in watches has always leaned toward genuine substance over flash. His choice of the Nautilus 5711G — restrained in silhouette, extraordinary in detail — reflects a collector's sensibility rather than mere status signalling. The Top Gear France context, surrounded by high-performance automobiles, suits the Nautilus's own sporting heritage perfectly.

On the grey market, the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711G currently commands significant premiums above its already substantial retail price, typically trading between $120,000 and $160,000 depending on condition and provenance — underscoring that this is no impulse purchase, even for a French rap legend.