Watch Spotting Ed Sheeran Sporting The Patek Philippe 5524G Calatrava Pilot In British GQ (And It's Tiffany Signed??)

If you are a British GQ reader, you may have noticed something shiny on the wrist of cover boy Ed Sheeran for their March 2017 issue – a Patek Philippe reference 5524G Calatrava Pilot. And not just any reference 5524G, but Sheeran's own 5524G. While this watch received mixed reviews when it was released at Baselworld in 2015, it has clearly made its way onto some wrists. In fact, it remains one of the most difficult to acquire modern Pateks on the planet, at present.

Based on two of Patek's early 1930s hour-angle watches, the 42mm white gold Patek Philippe 5524G Pilot watch made quite a splash when it was launched. With its unusual textured blue dial and oversized SuperLuminova Arabic numerals with white gold surrounds, this was one of the more casual watches from Patek Philippe, well, ever. It features a functional Patek Philippe caliber CH 324 S C FUS, which is a travel-time movement with adjustable GMT-Hand and Spiromax spring.  The 5524G was a big push for Patek Philippe – hoping to attract younger buyers to the traditional conservative brand. The watch received mixed reviews from readers and buyers alike; you can read more opinions on this watch in our Letters to the Editor. 

But critical review aside, the 5524G remains one of the hottest sub $100,000 watches in the world and it is next to impossible to purchase from an authorized dealer. The story here is that Sheeran has one, and his appears to even be Tiffany-signed! 

As many of you have noticed, Sheeran is an avid collector with some fantastic pieces to his name. Some notable spots include a Patek Philippe Nautilus Annual Calendar reference 5726A, Rolex Paul Newman reference 6239, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore "Volcano," and Richard Mille RM030. It is cool to see the Patek Pilot's watch in the wild and on the cover of such a mainstream publication, and on the wrist of such a serious watch guy. Very cool, indeed.

The Patek Philippe reference 5524G Calatrava Pilot retails for $47,300. You can read more about Ed Sheeran in British GQ online.