Ronald dela Rosa Bato — watch collection

About Ronald dela Rosa Bato’s watch collection

Ronald dela Rosa, widely known by his nickname 'Bato,' is one of the Philippines' most recognizable and polarizing political figures. He served as Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) from 2016 to 2018 under President Rodrigo Duterte, during which he became the public face of the administration's large-scale and deeply controversial war on drugs. Following his tenure at the PNP, dela Rosa successfully transitioned into electoral politics, winning a seat in the Philippine Senate in 2019. His background is rooted in law enforcement — he rose through the ranks of the PNP over a career spanning decades — and his blunt, plain-spoken public persona has made him a fixture in Philippine political discourse ever since.

The Ronald dela Rosa Bato watch collection, as documented in our sightings database, currently counts one confirmed entry: a heavily modified Seiko automatic that has been customized to closely replicate the appearance of the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-018 in the now-famous Tiffany blue dial variant. The piece appears to use a Seiko NH35 or NH36 caliber — workhorse automatic movements that have become the foundation of the global Seiko mod community — rehoused in an aftermarket case designed to echo the Nautilus's distinctive porthole profile and integrated bracelet. It is a technically involved build, and the craftsmanship visible in photographs suggests it was produced by a practiced modder rather than assembled casually.

The choice is telling in context. The Patek Nautilus 5711/1A-018 Tiffany blue is one of the most talked-about references of the past decade, with original examples changing hands at auction for multiples of their already significant retail price. Wearing a skilled Seiko mod of that reference rather than a genuine luxury piece is a choice that resonates differently depending on who is observing it — pragmatic, accessible, or simply a preference for the aesthetic without the expenditure. For a sitting Philippine Senator with a career built on a tough, no-frills public image, a Seiko-based mod carries its own logic.