Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Mathieu Flamini spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Mathieu Flamini, the combative Arsenal and France international midfielder, was photographed wearing a Patek Philippe Nautilus Chronograph in stainless steel with a black dial — reference 5980/1A-014 — a choice that places him squarely in the company of the most discerning watch collectors in professional football.

The Nautilus 5980/1A-014 sits at the pinnacle of the integrated-bracelet sports chronograph category. Introduced in 2006 to mark the 30th anniversary of the original Nautilus 3700, the 5980 houses the manufacture calibre CH 28-520 C — a self-winding flyback chronograph movement beating at 28,800 vph with a column wheel, horizontal clutch, and approximately 45 to 55 hours of power reserve. The case measures 40.5mm across in 316L stainless steel, with the characteristic horizontally embossed dial, luminescent applied indices, and the octagonal bezel with rounded edges that remain as visually striking today as when Genta first sketched them in 1974. The black dial reference, as opposed to the blue-dialled 5980/1A-001, has historically attracted a small premium on the secondary market precisely because of its relative rarity and the dial's sharper contrast with the rhodium-plated hands.

From a collector's standpoint, the 5980/1A-014 occupies a singular position. It is one of the few pieces where Patek Philippe successfully merged the casual identity of the Nautilus sports line with a genuine haute horlogerie complication. The flyback function — which resets and restarts the chronograph in a single pusher action — elevates this well beyond a simple date-and-time sports watch. Collectors regard it as a true two-in-one acquisition: a capable everyday wear and a serious complications piece.

Flamini is an interesting figure in the football-watch ecosystem. Unlike teammates who gravitate toward Richard Mille's carbon-fibre bravado or Hublot's co-branded football partnerships, his selection of a Patek Philippe Nautilus Chronograph reflects a more considered collecting instinct — fitting for someone who simultaneously ran a greentech company during his playing career.

At UK list price of approximately £38,800 at time of sighting, the 5980/1A-014 was already trading well above retail on the grey market, with comparable stainless steel Nautilus chronographs consistently achieving significant premiums. The combination of the Nautilus name, a flyback complication, and the increasingly sought-after black dial configuration makes this reference one of the more liquid assets in any serious collector's portfolio.