Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Stormzy spotted wearing Patek Philippe

In the 2019 music video for 'Take Me Back To London,' the chart-topping collaboration between Stormzy and Ed Sheeran, sharp-eyed viewers — and listeners — caught something unusual: an explicit shoutout to a wristwatch. Stormzy can be spotted wearing a platinum Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph, reference 5970P, and both artists reportedly reference their timepieces directly in the song, cementing this as one of the most culturally specific watch moments in recent pop history.

The Patek Philippe 5970 is no casual flex. Introduced in 2004 as the successor to the legendary reference 5970, the piece houses the manually wound Caliber CH 27-70 Q — a movement built on the historic Valjoux 13-ligne ebauche, substantially reworked and finished to Patek's exacting standards. The complication stack is formidable: a column-wheel single-button split-seconds chronograph integrated with a perpetual calendar displaying day, date, month, four-digit year, and moon phase. The platinum 5970P variant features a blue-lacquered dial, giving it a distinctly austere elegance compared to the yellow or white gold iterations. Case diameter sits at 40mm, and production was deliberately limited throughout its nine-year run, which ended in 2010 when the reference was discontinued.

Among serious collectors, the 5970P occupies near-mythological status. The combination of platinum, blue dial, and the perpetual calendar chronograph complication represents a technical and aesthetic high-water mark for the brand's modern era. Discontinued references in precious metal configurations from Patek Philippe consistently appreciate, and the 5970P is no exception — it surfaces rarely at auction and commands serious premiums when it does.

Stormzy's ownership aligns with a broader shift in British grime and rap culture toward serious haute horlogerie. Rather than defaulting to diamond-set sports watches, his choice of a restrained, intellectually complex dress watch signals genuine connoisseurship. The song's lyrical callout suggests the watch is a deliberate statement, not background wardrobe.

On the secondary market, the Patek Philippe 5970P regularly trades well above its original retail price. Auction results at Christie's and Phillips have seen examples clear $250,000 USD, with exceptional specimens pushing considerably higher. For a discontinued platinum Patek with this complication density, that trajectory shows no sign of reversing.