Lionel Messi’s Timekeeping Elegance: The Patek Philippe Aquanaut Chronograph Makes a Statement at His Recent Inter Miami Match

The wrist candy worn by the GOAT is a watch with a casing made of white gold and a gorgeous dial made of midnight blue.

Lionel Messi now wears Patek.

The Argentine soccer legend has an extensive, multi-brand collection but has been choosing the family-owned Genevan timepiece lately. He wore a platinum Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 5270P to the Best FIFA Football Awards in Paris last February. He wore a white-gold Nautilus Perpetual Calendar Ref. 5740/1G at the World Cup many months before. He now wears a white-gold Aquanaut Chronograph Ref. 5968G.

Messi wore the Patek before his Leagues Cup match at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday. Inter Miami advanced to the round of 16 in the first edition when the forward scored twice to beat Orlando City 3-1. He again displayed a chronograph’s elegance and precision on the field.

In 2021, Patek released a white-gold Aquanaut Chronograph (Ref. 5968G). The $75,700 model has a khaki or midnight blue checkerboard dial. Messi chose a midnight blue face with black-gradient rim.

The satin-finished white-gold casing covers the watch’s delicate inner workings and measures little over 42 mm. It’s water-resistant to 394 feet (120 meters). A date display at 3 o’clock and a 60-minute counter at 6 o’clock match the bezel’s rounded octagonal form. The flyback feature on the self-winding mechanical movement (caliber CH 28-520 C) turns the center chronograph hand into a permanent seconds hand.

To match the dial, the composite strap is blue. The watchmaker’s innovative fold-over clasp has four independent catches for strength and longevity.

Other than Patek, Messi wears Rolex and Audemars Piguet. The footballer signed his $80 million contract with Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 wearing a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master and a limited-edition Royal Oak from AP. In 2023, Patek is his focus.