Indian Billionaire Mukesh Ambani currently sits at the top of the list of Asia’s richest people, with an astonishing net worth of $113.5 billion. Leading the dynamic landscape of business and wealth in Asia, Ambani regained the top stop recently after losing it to fellow Indian businessman Gautam Adani for a very short period. Despite his immense wealth, the chairman of the multinational conglomerate Reliance prefers to maintain the carefully curated image of a simple man. The 65-year-old camera-shy business mogul is almost always dressed in a simple white short-sleeve shirt and loose-fitting black trousers.
While he can easily afford the rarest and most expensive timepieces money can buy, Mukesh Ambani is often seen wearing simple, unassuming watches that appear to match his unglamorous dressing sense. The 11th richest person on this planet was spotted wearing a discontinued Vacheron Constantin, which can easily be bought from the used market for around $9000.
The watch that can be seen on Ambani’s wrist in the picture is a Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Ref. 42002 with a gold case and a white dial. Founded in 1755 by Jean-Marc Vacheron, the Swiss watch brand is the oldest continuously operating watchmaker in the world. VC is known for its mechanical excellence, use of luxurious materials, and constant pursuit to push the boundaries of horology. The Ref. 42002 is one of the simpler, no-fuss timepieces from Vacheron Constantin.
A watch from the early years of the new millennium, the 42002 has a relatively classical size, with the 18k yellow gold case measuring 35mm in diameter and 9mm thick. The plain white dial adds to the timepiece’s simplicity, which features the minute markers around the outer rim and the date window at 3 o’clock. It is powered by an automatic self-winding movement hidden behind the solid caseback. The watch is paired with a brown leather strap with a buckle clasp. Thanks to its simple looks, the 42002 is liked by Vacheron Constantin purists.
We are hardly surprised by Mukesh Ambani’s choice of wearing a comparatively affordable and uncomplicated Vacheron Constantin. After all, the Indian billionaire is often spotted wearing an unremarkable Rolex Cellini reference 6621/8S. The now-discontinued piece is a tiny ladies’ watch that sells for around $8500 in the pre-owned market. However, the watches owned by his younger son, Anant Ambani, belong to the absolute opposite end of the spectrum.
A well-known collector of rare and ultra-expensive watches, Anant Ambani was seen wearing a $9 million Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Reference 6300G last year. With a total of 20 complications, it’s the most complicated watch ever made by Patek Philippe. At his pre-wedding bash earlier this year, the Ambani scion’s $4.5 million Richard Mille wowed Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his philanthropist wife Priscilla Chan. The contrast of choices in watches between Mukesh Ambani and his son is simply staggering.
Note – As of writing this article, according to Forbes, Mukesh Ambani has a net worth of $113 billion.
