Footballer Karim Benzema spotted wearing a Patek Philippe

Karim Benzema, the French striker whose trophy cabinet at Real Madrid rivals his reputation for understated off-pitch elegance, was recently spotted wearing a Patek Philippe Nautilus Chronograph in 18k rose gold — reference 5980R. The sighting adds another serious entry to a wrist game that has consistently favoured Geneva over flashier alternatives.

The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5980R is, by any measure, a landmark reference. Introduced in 2006 to mark the 30th anniversary of Gerald Genta's original Nautilus design, it became the first Nautilus to integrate a chronograph complication into the collection's signature horizontally embossed dial and stepped bezel. The 40.5mm rose gold case houses Calibre CH 28-520 C, a column-wheel flyback chronograph movement developed entirely in-house at Patek Philippe's Geneva manufacture. Beating at 28,800 vph with a 45-to-55 hour power reserve, it offers a flyback function — allowing the chronograph to be reset and restarted in a single pusher operation — that is genuinely rare at this price tier. The salmon-toned dial, warm against the rose gold, carries applied hour markers and a date aperture at 6 o'clock.

Among collectors, the 5980R occupies a specific and respected niche. It is technically the most complex Nautilus reference in the core lineup, yet it retains the sport-casual DNA that made the Nautilus a cultural object rather than merely a fine watch. Production numbers have always been limited, and waiting lists at authorised dealers have historically stretched years. The rose gold variant is considered the most tonally cohesive execution of the reference, pairing the warm metal with that characteristic dial colour.

Benzema's relationship with high-end watchmaking is well established. The forward has been photographed across a range of serious references, and his choice of the 5980R signals genuine connoisseurship — this is not a watch purchased for logo visibility. Its identity rewards those who already know what they are looking at.

At retail, the Patek Philippe Nautilus Chronograph 5980R carried a UK list price of approximately £67,500. On the secondary market, demand has kept grey-market premiums substantial, with the reference frequently trading above £120,000 depending on condition and provenance — a reflection of both Patek's restricted supply policy and the enduring cultural weight of the Nautilus line.