Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Lil Uzi Vert spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Lil Uzi Vert was photographed wearing a Patek Philippe Nautilus Chronograph Ref. 5980R in 18kt rose gold — a piece that sits at the intersection of haute horology and integrated-bracelet design, and one that serious collectors actively hunt on the secondary market.

Patek Philippe introduced the Nautilus Chronograph Ref. 5980 in 2006, celebrating thirty years of the Nautilus line first conceived by Gerald Genta in 1976. The 5980R specifically uses 18kt rose gold for both the 40.5mm case and the closely integrated bracelet, finished with Patek's signature alternating brushed and polished surfaces. The dial presents a horizontally embossed pattern — a direct evolution of Genta's original design language — with applied rose-gold indexes and two subsidiary counters at three and six o'clock for the flyback chronograph functions.

The movement inside is the Calibre CH 28-520 C, a manufacture flyback chronograph with column wheel, lateral clutch, and a self-winding rotor. It beats at 28,800 vph, offers approximately 45 hours of power reserve, and is among the more sophisticated in-house chronograph ebauches Patek has ever produced. The lateral clutch design ensures chronograph engagement without disturbing the rate of the going train — a detail that separates this calibre from many competitors.

From a collector standpoint, the Ref. 5980R occupies rare ground. It was never a high-volume reference, and rose gold Nautilus pieces in any configuration carry a scarcity premium that stainless steel examples cannot match in quite the same way. The 5980 family has since been succeeded by the Ref. 5990 travel-time chronograph, making original 5980R examples increasingly desirable to those who prefer the cleaner two-register layout.

Lil Uzi Vert has built a reputation for genuinely considered watch choices — from independent German pieces to skeletonised complications — and the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5980R fits that pattern. At a UK list price of £67,500, this is not a casual purchase, and on the grey market rose-gold Nautilus chronographs consistently trade well above retail, reflecting both the brand's tight authorised dealer allocations and sustained global demand.