Watch Paparazzi

Politician Hun Sen spotted wearing Patek Philippe

In a candid family photograph posted to his social media, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen appears wearing what is almost certainly one of the seven existing examples of the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Reference 5175R-001 — a watch so scarce and technically complex that it occupies a category essentially unto itself in horological history. The rose gold case, ornate hand engraving, and distinctive dual-crown architecture are unmistakable against the informal domestic backdrop.

Released in 2014 to commemorate Patek Philippe's 175th anniversary, the Grandmaster Chime 5175R-001 packs 20 complications into a 47.7mm reversible 18K rose gold case. The calibre GS AL 36-750 QIS FUS IRM movement — a hand-wound masterwork — delivers a grande and petite sonnerie, a minute repeater, an alarm with strike-work, an instantaneous perpetual calendar, a four-digit year display, a second time zone, a 24-hour indication, a moon phase on the reverse dial, and more. Each case was individually hand-engraved by Patek artisans, meaning no two pieces are visually identical. Total production: seven pieces, each allocated discreetly.

For collectors, the 5175R-001 represents the apex of what Geneva's most prestigious independent manufacture can achieve. It eclipsed even the legendary Star Calibre 2000 in complication count and execution refinement. The watch debuted at Baselworld 2014 to near-universal critical acclaim, and secondary market appearances are exceedingly rare — when one does surface, prices reflect the watch's singular status in the pantheon of haute horlogerie.

Hun Sen, who led Cambodia as Prime Minister for nearly four decades before transitioning to Senate President in 2023, has been photographed with high-end timepieces on multiple occasions. His choice of the Grandmaster Chime — list-priced at approximately $2.6 million USD — worn in a relaxed home setting underscores the normalized luxury environment of Southeast Asian political elites. The watch dwarfs virtually any other wristwatch in existence on both technical and monetary metrics.

On the grey market, the handful of recorded auction appearances for the 5175R-001 have consistently exceeded the original retail figure. A rose gold example sold at Christie's Geneva in November 2019 for CHF 6.2 million — nearly three times its list price — establishing a benchmark that reinforced its status as a true collector's trophy rather than merely an expensive watch.