Watch Paparazzi

Entrepreneur Patrizio Bertelli spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Patrizio Bertelli, the Italian entrepreneur who has helmed Prada alongside Miuccia Prada for decades, was recently spotted wearing a Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time in stainless steel, reference 5164A — a piece that sits at the crossroads of genuine horological utility and modern luxury sports-watch culture.

Introduced in 2011, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time 5164A houses the manufacture's caliber 324 S C FUS — a self-winding movement with an instantaneous date display and the signature Travel Time complication. The mechanism allows independent adjustment of the local hour hand via two pushers at 8 and 10 o'clock, advancing or retreating the hand in one-hour increments without disturbing the running seconds or the home-time display. A recessed, skeletonized local-time hand distinguishes the current timezone from the solid home-time hand at all times. The 40.8mm stainless steel case offers 120 meters of water resistance, while the embossed rubber strap and matching dial texture remain among the most recognizable aesthetic signatures in contemporary watchmaking.

Within the Patek Philippe collector community, the 5164A carries considerable weight. Stainless steel Patek sports references have commanded fierce demand for the better part of two decades, and the Aquanaut line — conceived in 1997 as a more accessible, youthful counterpart to the Nautilus — has matured into a serious collector target in its own right. The Travel Time variant adds a layer of complication that justifies the reference beyond pure style, making it a legitimate two-timezone tool watch for the frequent traveler.

For Bertelli, a man who splits his time between Milan, Paris, and international fashion weeks, the practical case for a dual-timezone watch is self-evident. His alignment with Patek Philippe also resonates thematically: both the Geneva manufacture and the Prada Group are privately held, craft-driven institutions that have resisted short-term market pressures in favor of long-term brand integrity.

On the grey market, the 5164A in steel trades at a significant premium above its already substantial retail price, reflecting sustained demand and tight authorized-dealer allocations. For a CEO who arguably embodies the intersection of industrial design and heritage craftsmanship, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time 5164A is an entirely coherent choice.