NBA players and team owners are not ones to shy away from the flashy and the pricey when it comes to watches. It’s no surprise we’re spotting the world’s most expensive stainless steel watch on their wrists. The timepiece in question? A Nautilus 5711 stamped with jeweller Tiffany & Co’s logo with a robin’s egg blue dial.
The first piece from this 170-piece limited run was sold for US$6.5 million at Phillips auction in New York last December, 100 times more than its US$52,635 retail price.
The Nautilus model has long been a favourite among athletes and celebrities. Iterations of the watch have found their way onto the wrists of Russel Westbrook, Allen Iverson and James Harden.
The Tiffany & Co collaboration came shortly after Patek Philippe announced the discontinuation of the Nautilus in stainless steel. The reference marks the 170th anniversary of the Patek Philippe salon inside Tiffany & Co’s Fifth Avenue flagship boutique in New York.
With just 170 pieces available, the world instantly became obsessed with finding out who got their hands on one. Two of the most influential players in the NBA and a music mogul industry have got their hands on the coveted watch.