Footballer Ben Chillwell spotted wearing a Patek Philippe

Ben Chilwell made headlines for his move to Chelsea, but the England international also caught the attention of watch spotters for what was sitting on his wrist: a stainless steel Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 5712/1A, one of the most coveted complications in the entire Nautilus family.

Introduced in 2006, the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712/1A built on the original 5711 platform by adding a power reserve indicator and a moonphase display to the dial. The case measures 40mm in stainless steel, retaining the hallmark horizontally embossed blue-grey dial and the integrated bracelet that Gerald Genta sketched in 1976. Powering the watch is Calibre 240 PS IRM C LU — a micro-rotor self-winding movement decorated to Patek's exacting standards, offering a 48-hour power reserve and a moon phase mechanism engineered to require correction only once every 122 years. At roughly 3.88mm thick, the movement is a marvel of miniaturisation given everything it accomplishes.

For collectors, the 5712/1A occupies a distinct position in the Nautilus hierarchy. It delivers genuine complication credentials — not merely a date window — while preserving the clean, sporty proportions that define the line. The reference was discontinued in 2021 alongside the 5711/1A, a decision that immediately amplified demand and secondary-market prices. Unlike the plain 5711, the 5712 attracted a slightly more patient collector base even before discontinuation, appreciated for its mechanical depth rather than pure icon status alone.

Chilwell joining Chelsea with this on his wrist is consistent with a generation of Premier League players who treat serious Swiss watchmaking as a genuine passion rather than a status prop. The Nautilus 5712/1A is not a watch you accidentally stumble into — it requires either a strong client relationship with an authorised dealer or a confident move in the grey market.

At UK list price of approximately £31,430 before discontinuation, the 5712/1A was already aspirational. On the secondary market today the reference trades significantly above retail, with clean examples in full set regularly achieving multiples of the original list price — a reflection of Patek Philippe's enduring scarcity and the Nautilus name's undiminished pull among both footballers and seasoned collectors alike.