Royal Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim spotted wearing a Patek Philippe

The Crown Prince of Johor, Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim — widely known by his initials TMJ — was photographed wearing a Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5980R to mark his birthday, offering a rare close look at one of the Geneva manufacture's most coveted rose gold sports complications.

The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5980R is no ordinary dress-sport crossover. Introduced in 2006 as the first Nautilus chronograph, the reference brought serious horological weight to Gerald Genta's legendary 1976 integrated-bracelet design. The case measures 40.5mm in 18kt rose gold and carries the characteristic horizontally embossed dial — here in a warm brown-to-black gradient — paired with a matching rose gold bracelet and the sculpted octagonal bezel secured by four visible screws. Water resistance is rated to 120 metres, preserving the original sports watch brief.

Beneath the case beats calibre CH 28-520 C, Patek Philippe's self-winding flyback chronograph movement. The flyback function — allowing the chronograph to be stopped, reset, and restarted with a single pusher action — is a hallmark of professional timing instruments and adds meaningful mechanical complexity to what could easily have been a simpler add-on. The movement beats at 28,800 vph, offers approximately 55 hours of power reserve, and is finished to the manufacture's exacting Geneva Seal standards, with bevelled bridges and côtes de Genève throughout.

Among collectors, the 5980R occupies a distinct tier. Rose gold Nautilus references have historically commanded premiums over their stainless steel counterparts, and the chronograph configuration narrows the field further. The reference was discontinued and subsequently replaced by the Ref. 5980/1R, keeping original examples firmly in demand on the secondary market. It is the kind of piece serious collectors acquire for keeps rather than trade.

Tunku Ismail is no stranger to significant horology. The Crown Prince has previously been photographed with Richard Mille and Rolex references, but the 5980R signals a leaning toward classical Swiss complications dressed in a sporting idiom — appropriate for a royal who balances military rank with an energetically public-facing persona. At a UK list price of £65,110, the 5980R sits at the upper end of the Nautilus family, and grey-market values for rose gold chronograph examples have consistently outpaced retail by a considerable margin.