Watch Paparazzi

Doctor Ahmad Al Aslawi spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Dr. Ahmad Al Aslawi, one of the Gulf region's most distinguished plastic surgeons, was recently spotted wearing a Patek Philippe Nautilus Chronograph 5980/1AR-001 — a reference that consistently turns heads among serious collectors for reasons that go well beyond its striking two-tone case.

The 5980/1AR-001 pairs an 18k rose gold bezel and crown with a brushed and polished stainless steel case measuring 40.5mm across. The signature sunburst blue dial is bisected by horizontal embossed stripes — a Nautilus hallmark — and hosts a flyback chronograph with the pusher and seconds subdial integrated at 6 o'clock, while a date window sits discreetly at 3 o'clock. Powering the watch is Calibre CH 28-520 C, an in-house flyback movement with column wheel control, horizontal clutch, and a 45-to-55 hour power reserve. The movement is visible through a sapphire caseback, finished to Patek's Seal standards with chamfered bridges and Geneva striping throughout.

Patek Philippe introduced the Nautilus 5980 in 2006 to mark the 30th anniversary of the original ref. 3700 — making it the first Nautilus to carry a chronograph complication. The 5980/1AR-001 specifically, in its two-tone rose gold and steel configuration, became one of the most desirable variants almost immediately. The combination of a complication-grade movement inside a sports-casual case architecture is precisely the kind of horological tension that drives collector demand, and the reference has never been abundantly available at retail.

Dr. Al Aslawi is widely credited as the first Kuwaiti surgeon to hold the French Board certification in plastic and reconstructive surgery — a credential that places him among a very small peer group in the GCC. He owns and operates the French Clinic with locations in both Kuwait and Dubai. A watch of this calibre — both technically and commercially — fits naturally into a professional biography built on precision and international standards.

The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5980/1AR-001 carries an official retail price of approximately $67,000 USD, a figure that already places it at the upper tier of the sports watch segment. On the grey market, however, the reference trades at roughly $146,000 — a premium of more than 100% over retail that underscores both chronic supply constraints and the enduring desirability of the Nautilus family among global collectors.