Footballer Daniel Sturridge spotted wearing a Patek Philippe

Daniel Sturridge, the former Liverpool and England striker currently plying his trade at Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor, was recently photographed wearing one of the most covetable — and genuinely difficult to acquire — watches in the Patek Philippe stable: the World Time reference 5131/1P-001 in platinum, distinguished by its breathtaking cloisonné enamel center dial.

The Patek Philippe 5131/1P-001 is the pinnacle of the World Time family, itself rooted in the 1930s collaboration between Patek Philippe and Geneva-based watchmaker Louis Cottier, who invented the world time complication. The reference 5131 revived that legacy in 2006, and the platinum variant with cloisonné enamel dial sits at the very top of the line. The 39.5mm platinum case encloses Calibre 240 HU — a thin, 3.88mm automatic movement with a 22-carat gold peripheral rotor — capable of displaying all 24 time zones simultaneously, adjusted via a single pusher at 10 o'clock. The planisphere at the center of the dial renders Earth as viewed from the North Pole, an orientation that gives the cartographic detail unusual visual drama.

The cloisonné enamel work is what separates the 5131/1P from its siblings. Each dial is produced by a single artisan using fine gold wire to create partitions — cloisons — that are then filled with powdered enamel and fired multiple times in a kiln. The process is irreproducible mechanically and results in extraordinary chromatic depth. Patek Philippe produces these in extremely limited numbers annually, and the 5131/1P has consistently attracted both serious collectors and waiting lists that stretch years.

Sturridge has long demonstrated a genuine interest in high horology rather than simply trophy purchases, and the 5131/1P-001 is not the kind of watch one stumbles into. It requires access, patience, and a relationship with an authorized dealer — making the sighting as much a statement about the wearer's collecting credentials as his net worth.

On the secondary market, the platinum World Time 5131/1P commands significant premiums over its already substantial list price of approximately $138,000 USD. Grey-market examples have consistently traded between $200,000 and $250,000, with exceptional dial colorways pushing higher. Demand shows no signs of softening.