It looks like the horology bug has finally bitten Mark Zuckerberg. After recently being spotted wearing a $141,000 Patek Philippe, the centibillionaire seems to have expanded his watch collection with a De Bethune Starry Varius in rose gold. The stunning Swiss luxury timepiece was seen on Zuckerberg’s wrist at the Acquired Live event, where the Facebook founder was the leading guest. Part of De Bethune’s DB25 collection, the Starry Varius watch presents a beautiful blend of technical and artistic mastery of the independent Swiss watchmaker. Introduced in 2020, the timepiece features a traditional case measuring 42mm in diameter and crafted out of 5N rose gold. The watch also features the brand’s signature hollowed-out, buttress-style lugs.
The highlight of the timepiece is its celestial-themed dial that features a personalized constellation. Right at the center is a blued and polished titanium disc with hand-fitted white gold pins depicting stars of the constellation. The stars are surrounded by a Milky Way pattern made by laser beam micro-milling. Additionally, the Starry Varius gets a silver-toned hours and minutes ring along with polished rose gold hour markers.
Housed inside the case is the watchmaker’s DB2005 caliber hand-wound movement, comprised of 160 parts. The movement has an impressive power reserve of 6 days and is visible through the sapphire display caseback. Starry Varius comes fitted with a blue alligator strap that beautifully compliments the rose gold case. The production of the timepiece is limited to just 20 pieces per year, each priced slightly less than $90,000.
In case you’re wondering what suddenly piqued Zuckerberg’s interest in luxury watches, it could have very well started during a trip to India earlier this year. Attending the pre-wedding bash of Anant Ambani, son of Asia’s richest man, Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, were seen admiring a rare Richard Mille timepiece worn by the billionaire scion.
Anant is well known for his love for watches. His personal collection includes some of the world’s most expensive and rarest timepieces, including the three most complicated wristwatches made by Patek Philippe to date. Before Zuckerberg’s India visit, he was mostly seen wearing boring fitness trackers. However, it seems Anant’s passion for collecting luxury watches has rubbed onto the Facebook founder, who appears to be quickly building his own collection of some cool Swiss watches.
