After not showing any interest in traditional watches for most of his life, centibillionaire Mark Zuckerberg has built quite a fascinating collection of rare and highly desirable luxury mechanical watches over a very short time. Within a span of a few weeks, the Facebook founder was spotted wearing a $141,000 Patek Philippe and a $90,000 De Bethune Starry Varius timepiece in rose gold. However, it seems Zuckerberg is only getting started.
He recently appeared on popular video journalist Cleo Abram’s podcast where the duo talked about Meta’s new Orion prototype AR glasses. While the AI-powered holographic wearable is a jaw-dropping piece of technology, we could not help but notice the beautiful watch on Zuckerberg’s wrist. It’s a F.P. Journe Chronomètre Souverain Havana in Platinum.
F P Journe is one of the most revered Swiss watchmakers who founded the eponymous brand in 1999. Not only is it the last Swiss watchmaker left in central Geneva, but F. P. Journe produces less than 1000 watches each year, making them highly exclusive. The independent watchmaker only has 120 craftsmen who carefully hand-assemble each timepiece. Almost 90% of the components are made in-house. It goes without saying that the watch brand is extremely popular amongst serious collectors. It’s no surprise that it caught the attention of Zuckerberg, who seems to be taking his newfound passion for collecting watches very seriously.
The Chronomètre Souverain Havana is one of the most loved models produced by F.P. Journe thanks to its minimalistic design. While the watch is also available in 6N gold, Zuckerberg chose to add the platinum version to his collection. The elegant piece won the Men’s Watch Prize in 2005, the year it was first released. The Havana edition was released as a production model in 2017.
Crafted out of platinum, the round case has a diameter of 40mm and is 8mm thick. Complementing the case is the light brown dial made by the brand’s in-house dialmaker, Les Cadraniers de Gevena. The beautiful hue is produced by blending gold and ruthenium.
Housed inside the case is the manually wound caliber 1304, which is inspired by the early 19th-century marine chronometry. The bridges and the mainplate are crafted out of 18k rose gold, which can be seen through the sapphire display caseback. Thanks to its twin barrels, the movement offers a power reserve of 56 hours. While the watch had an official price tag of around $45,000, it usually sells around the $100,000-mark in the pre-owned market.
Most people believe that Zuckerberg picked up the interest in luxury watches when he visited India to attend the pre-wedding bash of billionaire scion Anant Ambani, a prominent collector of some of the rarest and most expensive timepieces. However, the Meta CEO seems to have a different idea for his watch collection from Anant. While the recently-married Indian billionaire loves flashy and attention-grabbing watches, Zuckerberg appears to have a taste for more understated luxury watches that complement his personality. What do you think will be his next timepiece?
