Mark Zuckerberg is showing off wrist candy from his pricey watch collection in his everyday looks.
After years of dressing in humble hoodies, the billionaire has beefed up his wardrobe with a custom gold chain and a collection of luxury watch brands. Zuckerberg, who Forbes estimates is worth nearly $250 billion, recently paired a basic T-shirt with a limited-edition watch. An iteration of the same model sold at auction for $254,000 in April, Sotheby’s said.
Zuckerberg’s F.P. Journe Chronomètre Bleu Byblos is one of 99 of that model made in 2014 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the watchmaker’s boutique in Beirut. Watch industry veterans identified the timepiece after Zuckerberg wore it during an April 28 appearance on Theo Von’s “This Past Weekend” podcast.
“It’s one of those pieces that quietly signals, ‘I know what I’m wearing,’ without shouting it,” Eugene Tutunikov, CEO of SwissWatchExpo, told Business Insider.
Zuckerberg has other F.P. Journe watches in his collection. For his keynote at Meta Connect 2024, he chose a watch that resembled one from the Souveraine collection. Sotheby’s estimated that it could fetch up to $54,000 at auction.
“F.P. Journe is one of the most respected independent watchmakers, celebrated for its superb finishing, innovation, and incredibly limited runs,” Paul Altieri of Bob’s Watches told BI.
Despite the rarity and hefty price tag, the Chronomètre Bleu Byblos is a “simpler” time-only choice for the Meta CEO compared to the more complicated pieces he’s been spotted in, Joshua Ganjei, CEO of European Watch Company, said.
Zuck wasn’t known for flashy fashion choices when he broke onto the tech scene as a college dropout. Over the years, his zip-up hoodie and blue sweater became a staple of his style.
Last year, he was captured admiring a Richard Mille watch worn by the Reliance Industries heir Anant Ambani.
“You know, I never really wanted to get a watch, but after seeing that, I was like, watches are cool,” Zuckerberg is heard saying in a video of the interaction.
Today, he’s turned a corner to crank up his style. His custom gold chain — made in honor of his daughters — is paired with many of his outfits, and he’s rarely seen without a pair of the Ray-Ban smart glasses powered by Meta AI.
Meta didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment by Business Insider.
Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram, previously praised Zuckerberg’s new steeze in June 2024. Mosseri said his boss spent a long time “not wasting any energy on deciding what to wear.” Instead, Zuckerberg decided to wear “the same thing every day for a long time as a lot of tech execs have done.”
Zuck is entering a new fashion era in his own way, with a watch that’s a “perfect fit” for him, Tutunikov said.
“It’s almost like the thinking man’s grail: no flashy logos, no gimmicks, just insane craftsmanship and a bit of mystery,” he said.
Read the full article here
