Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Steven Gerrard spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Steven Gerrard, the former Liverpool and England captain turned manager, was recently spotted wearing the Patek Philippe Aquanaut Jumbo 5168G-010 — the limited 20th Anniversary edition produced in 18K white gold. It is a choice that signals genuine collector knowledge: the 5168G is not a watch you stumble across in a boutique window.

Patek Philippe introduced the Aquanaut in 1997 as a younger, sportier counterpart to the Nautilus. Designed by Before & After and built around a rounded octagonal bezel with an embossed tropical composite dial, it was the manufacture's answer to a generation of buyers who wanted water resistance and wearability without abandoning Geneva's highest standards. For the 20th anniversary in 2017, Patek released the reference 5168G: a 42.2mm case in 18K white gold — a metal Patek almost never deploys for the Aquanaut line — housing the automatic Calibre 324 S C movement. The cal. 324 S C beats at 28,800 vph, offers a 45-hour power reserve, and is finished to the manufacture's exacting standards, with a peripheral rotor and Gyromax balance wheel. Water resistance stands at 120 metres.

The 5168G holds a distinct position in Aquanaut collecting. White gold sports watches are genuinely uncommon in Patek's catalogue, and anniversary references carry an extra layer of narrative that the secondary market consistently rewards. The deep blue embossed dial — with its signature checkerboard-style texture matching the composite strap — reads contemporary while the case metal adds a formal tension that yellow or rose gold simply cannot replicate.

Gerrard has long demonstrated a preference for high-horology pieces rather than fashion-driven watch choices, and the 5168G fits that profile precisely. It is a watch that rewards those who look closely, with nothing ostentatious about its presence on the wrist — much like Gerrard's own playing style, effective and technically rigorous rather than performative.

At an official retail price of $38,557, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5168G-010 sits at the accessible end of white-gold complications from the manufacture, yet grey-market demand pushes it considerably higher. Availability through authorised dealers remains extremely limited, making sightings like Gerrard's a reminder of how selectively this reference circulates.