Senator Bato dela Rosa on Tuesday denied a claim by an Instagram watch-dedicated account that he was wearing a $6.5 million-worth Patek Philippe Tiffany Blue Nautilus timepiece in a photo. The retired PNP chief said jokingly that the watch was actually a “Seikopatik na 14k php.”
In the Facebook post, Dela Rosa wrote that what he was wearing was Seiko’s version of the highly coveted, limited edition Patek Philippe watch. “Sa mga ulol dyan na marites, naisahan ko rin kayo!” he said. “Yung relo ko na seikopatik na 14k php ginawa ninyong patek philippe na 360m php. Ha ha ha.” He revealed in a comment that the wristwatch was sold to him by someone who came home from Japan.
The now-edited caption of Watch Spotter PH initially said the “Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711/1A-018 Tiffany & Co” had a market price of P357,720,000 as of December 2021. The new caption says Dela Rosa’s “SEIKO MOD” has a market value of P11,000.
According to this site, “watch modification” or “modding” is becoming a big thing among a sub-group of watch enthusiasts. Basically, these watch aficionados build a watch with Seiko parts to better suit their taste, needs, and budget.
Early this year, ANCX featured the Patek Philippe Tiffany Blue Nautilus, a sought after luxury timepiece once spotted on the wrist of American rapper-turned-media mogul Jay Z. Financial Times’ How to Spend It magazine said the Swiss watchmaker only made 170 versions of the Tiffany Blue Nautilus in time to celebrate the brand’s 170th anniversary.
Meanwhile, netizens had a good laugh from the blunder and the senator’s reaction.
joshu1207 referred to the watch enthusiast page as “Spotter na Marites.”
“500 milyon to 11k real quick HAHAHAHA,” bugtapes commented.
“hahaha na kuryente kayo ni Bato Dela Rosa 😂😂😂😂” said mariahdc101.
“how to view edits po? asking for a friend,” darth.fuhrer chimed in.
“No to history revisionism 🤣” said ptrjsphrvra.
Identifying watches, especially when one is only basing it from a photograph or a screen grab, can be a tricky thing because there are watches with similar shapes and appearances—this is according to our lawyer friend Sieg Suarez who runs the watch-dedicated IG account, @watch_mnl. “You really have to have a deep knowledge in watches to arrive at an accurate conclusion. Sometimes, you have to go beyond the dial of the watch. Is the bracelet or strap accurate?”
There are many things to consider when identifying a watch especially when one is looking only from afar or at an image, says Atty. Sieg. And especially if you’re going to make the identification public. A) “There are times people change straps, which makes it more difficult to identify the watch.” B) “When it’s a watch as rare as the Nautilus x Tiffany, you have to take into consideration as well whether the person could’ve been offered the watch, or he would be the type to pay a large sum of money for a timepiece.” C) “Respect the wearer. If you’re not sure, don’t post.”
Atty. Sieg has been studying watches for over 20 years and he still sometimes finds it a struggle to name the watches worn by the VIPs featured on his site. Many pictures online are usually blurry, for one, or taken from a far distance. “You don’t become an expert overnight,” says the watch aficionado. “And I, myself, still learn something new about watches everyday.” His advice to watch enthusiasts: “Continue to learn everyday. No one has the monopoly of knowledge in watches.”