Footballer Luis Figo spotted wearing a Patek Philippe

Luis Figo, the Portuguese football legend and 2000 Ballon d'Or laureate, was recently spotted wearing a Patek Philippe Nautilus Perpetual Calendar reference 5740G — a watch that commands respect well beyond the football world and sits at the very summit of the Nautilus collection.

Introduced in 2012, the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5740G was a landmark release: the first grand complication ever introduced within the Nautilus family. Gerald Genta's original 1976 sports-watch design, famous for its porthole-shaped case and horizontally embossed dial, had long been associated with elegance rather than complication density. The 5740G changed that equation decisively. Housed in a 40mm case crafted from 18k white gold and measuring just 8.42mm in thickness, it presents a blue sunburst dial dressed with gold applied hour markers and luminescent coating — unmistakably Nautilus, yet unmistakably serious. The perpetual calendar display reads date, day, month, and leap year across dedicated subdials, all driven without a single manual correction until the year 2100.

The movement responsible for this feat is the caliber 240 Q — a self-winding micro-rotor movement that has been central to Patek Philippe's perpetual calendar architecture for decades. At just 3.88mm tall, it allows the 5740G to achieve a case profile that remains genuinely wearable under a shirt cuff, a remarkable engineering achievement given the mechanical complexity involved. The movement oscillates at 21,600 vph and offers a 48-hour power reserve.

Among collectors, the Nautilus 5740G occupies a near-mythical position. Production volumes are extremely limited, waiting lists at authorized dealers have historically stretched years, and the reference was ultimately discontinued in 2021 — a decision that only intensified secondary-market demand. Finding one at retail was considered something close to impossible even before discontinuation.

Figo's taste here reflects the sensibility of a footballer who has long moved in elite circles, from Real Madrid to Inter Milan and the corridors of UEFA. The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5740G carries an official retail price of $126,850, but on the grey market it routinely trades at or above $300,000 — a premium that speaks, plainly, to how difficult this reference is to acquire through any channel.