Politician Ronald dela Rosa Bato spotted wearing a Seiko

Philippine Senator Ronald dela Rosa — better known as 'Bato,' former Chief of the Philippine National Police and controversial architect of the country's war on drugs — was recently photographed wearing what appears to be a heavily modified Seiko automatic dressed to evoke one of the most coveted and discussed watches of the past decade: the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-018 with Tiffany & Co. blue dial.

The watch in question is a Seiko mod, a genre of aftermarket customization that has exploded globally as skilled craftsmen rehouse Seiko movements — typically from the NH35 or NH36 caliber family — inside custom cases that reference luxury designs. This particular build features an octagonal integrated-lug case with brushed and polished surfaces, a black inner bezel ring, and a vivid turquoise 'Tiffany-style' dial with applied baton hour markers, a date window at 3 o'clock, and a matching integrated bracelet — all key design signatures borrowed from Gerald Genta's iconic 1972 Nautilus blueprint.

The reference point is unmistakable: in November 2021, Patek Philippe retired the Nautilus 5711 and Phillips Geneva auctioned a 5711/1A-018 — one of only 150 produced in collaboration with Tiffany & Co. — for an astonishing CHF 6.5 million (approximately $6.5 million USD), making it one of the most expensive modern production watches ever sold at auction. The 'Tiffany blue' dial became a cultural flashpoint, spawning an entire cottage industry of homage and mod builds.

For collectors, Seiko mods occupy a fascinating grey zone — not counterfeits, but unabashedly referential tributes. The NH35A movement powering most such builds is a 24-jewel automatic beating at 21,600 vph with a 41-hour power reserve: no prestige, but functional reliability. The modding community values craft and creativity over provenance.

Dela Rosa's choice is characteristically blunt. A polarizing public figure wearing a $200 Tiffany blue Nautilus homage is, in its own way, a statement — whether intentional or not. In a country where income inequality is stark, 'Bato' wears his Seiko mod without apparent pretense, which may be the most honest thing about it.