Watch Paparazzi

Football manager Frank Lampard spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Frank Lampard made headlines in early 2022 when he was confirmed as the new manager of Everton Football Club. Cameras caught the Chelsea legend and England midfield icon at the announcement, and sharp-eyed watch spotters immediately clocked the piece on his wrist: a stainless steel Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time, reference 5164A.

The 5164A is a serious watch wearing a casual costume. Measuring 40.8mm in stainless steel — a relatively rare material for Patek Philippe complications — the case houses the automatic Caliber 324 S C FUS, beating at 28,800 vph with a 45-hour power reserve. The movement drives a dual time zone display managed by two pushers at 8 and 10 o'clock, allowing the wearer to advance or retard the local hour hand in one-hour increments without stopping the movement. A day/night indicator at 6 o'clock keeps both time zones legible at a glance. The embossed "Tropical" composite strap ties everything back to the Aquanaut's DNA, introduced by Patek in 1997 as a sportier alternative to the Nautilus.

From a collector standpoint, the 5164A occupies an interesting position. Steel Patek complications are perennially underproduced relative to demand, and the Aquanaut reference family carries strong secondary market momentum. The 5164A specifically benefits from its dual-timezone functionality, making it genuinely practical for high-travel professionals — a category that football managers emphatically belong to. It is considered one of the more accessible entry points into Patek complication collecting, though "accessible" is relative at these price levels.

Lampard has long cultivated a reputation as a considered watch collector. His choice of the 5164A on such a high-profile day reads less like a flex and more like a man wearing a trusted, well-chosen piece for an important occasion — which, in watch terms, is exactly the right instinct.

At retail, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time 5164A carries a list price of approximately $40,400. On the grey market, however, demand has driven values considerably higher, with examples regularly trading around the $127,000 mark — a premium of roughly three times retail that underscores just how sought-after steel Patek complications remain among collectors worldwide.