His watch collection is worth millions of dollars, making him the captain of Argentina’s national team.
A good watch is nothing new to Lionel Messi.
One of the most impressive collections of footballers in the world belongs to the Argentinian forward, along with rival Cristiano Ronaldo. Recently, the two put aside their rivalry for a viral Louis Vuitton campaign in which they put aside their rivalry on and off the pitch. In light of this, Messi’s choice to wear a stunning Patek Philippe watch at the press conference for this year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar is understandable.
An 18-karat white-gold Nautilus Perpetual Calendar Ref. 5740/1G was worn by Messi at the interview prior to Argentina’s match against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Despite not being an iteration of the 5711, Messi’s model, which sells for $145,480, is yet another variation of the Nautilus that has appreciated with a current secondary market value of $265,000. With its self-winding, ultra-thin caliber 240 Q movement, the Nautilus ref. 5740/1G offers both a perpetual calendar and a moonphase indicator.
In Messi’s collection, there is more than the Ref. 5740/1G. His collection also includes a Nautilus Flyback Chronograph in 18-karat rose gold, a Nautilus Flyback Chronograph in 18-karat white gold, and an Aquanaut Chronograph in 18-karat rose gold. As well as a stainless steel version of the popular 5711, the Ref. 5711/1A-001 has a white “piano” dial.
The majority of Messi’s timepieces are from Audemars Piguet and Rolex, aside from Patek. Based on the 42 mm Royal Oak Chrono announced at SIHH earlier that year, the footballer partnered with AP in 2012 for the limited-edition Leo Messi Chronograph. A tantalum bezel and a leather strap were included in each of the three variations: the steel model, the rose gold model, and the platinum model. Each was limited to 500 pieces.
It is no surprise that the forward is an avid Rolex fan, as he has several models in his collection, including a Daytona Panda Ref. 116500LN, a classic Datejust 36 Ref. 126231, an Oyster Perpetual Yellow Dial Ref. 124300, and a Submariner Date Ref. 116659SABR. As Messi left FC Barcelona after 21 years in the club, he wore a rose-gold Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master Ref. 126655 to sign a $80 million contract with Paris Saint-Germain. In the most recent World Cup appearance, the icon wore a platinum Day-Date Ref. 228206 with a blue dial wearing Argentinian colors.
