Inside Mark Zuckerberg's eclectic, ultra-rare watch collection
Mark Zuckerberg's trove of pricey watches vary greatly in quality. If you needed more proof that money can't buy taste, look no further
By Cayle Reid
IF THERE WAS EVER a man who valued price and rarity above aesthetic appeal in watches, it’s Mark Zuckerberg. Don’t get us wrong, the world’s third richest man has some nice pieces in his collection, but many of them are gaudy, lurid, and in some cases, straight-up ugly. But then again, it’s not like we could ever afford any of these pieces for ourselves. Colour us green with envy.
Of the more pleasant timepieces owned by Zuckerberg, standouts include a more subtle Rolex Daytona with a bold black-on-gold contrast and an extremely rare pink-on-pink Patek Philippe. But every one of these appealing choices has an equally vexing counterpart, like a garish purple piece from De Bethune or a showy Rolex with so many diamonds it could blind the undeveloped eyes of a child.
Scroll on as we dive deep into the many watches Mark Zuckerberg owns.
Mark Zuckerberg’s watch collection
Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph, ref. 1518
Price: $15 million+
Recently, Zuckerberg was seen wearing one of the better watches in his collection, a Patek Philippe chronograph with a pink-on-pink colour scheme. It’s one of only 13 known models, with one selling at an auction for $14.5 million in 2021. That particular watch belonged to an Egyptian prince, but with inflation and the prestige boost that comes with being worn by one of the world’s richest men, we’d expect Zuckerberg’s model to sell for even more.
De Bethune, ref. DB28XS ‘Purple Rain’
Price: $150,000
Yes, that wavy coruscated effect on the dial is cool, but at the end of the day, it’s still a purple dial. Purple is a colour that, as a rule, should only adorn a watch worn by Prince or teenagers with so much money they don’t know what to do with it. It’s best left to the youthful scions (à la Mark Eydelshteyn’s character in Anora), not the man-child billionaires.
Patek Philippe Complications, ref. 5961R
Price: $290,000
We’re torn on this rare Patek Philippe watch. On one hand, it’s undeniably brilliant in the technical sense, as a self-winding flyback chronograph with an Annual Calendar function. On the other hand, the diamond-rimmed case with matching hour markers and hands are a bit much.
Rolex Daytona Cosmograph, ref. 6239
Price: $1.5 million
This vintage Rolex Daytona is one of the best pieces Zuckerberg owns. So perhaps it was a gift. The gold case, dial and bracelet contrast perfectly with the black subdials and the Daytona model is, in itself, a status symbol. This particular model costs upwards of $1.5 million.
Rolex Daytona Cosmograph, ref. 6269
Price: $2 million
Only eight pieces of this vintage Rolex Cosmograph Daytona were ever made. It features an 18-carat yellow gold case, a bezel set with 48 diamonds and a dial set with 231 diamonds and nine sapphires. It’s certainly flashy, and again, Zuck is probably overdoing it here. This is a watch that screams “I’m rich, and I want you to know it”, which is probably the message he wanted to send when he wore it to his wife’s 40th birthday earlier this year.
Patek Philippe Grand Complication, ref. 5270/1R
Price: $260,000
Now here’s a nice watch. Well done Mark. This rose gold perpetual calendar chronograph can be distinguished by its Goutte-style gold bracelet, which is fully integrated into the case. In addition, it boasts an ebony black sunburst dial and features a well-balanced face. The calendar mechanism, meanwhile, is exceptionally slim.
Platinum F.P. Journe FFC, Calibre 1300.3
Price: $1.3 million
When Zuckerberg wants to sit down for a chat with a bro (or appear on the Joe Rogan Experience), he straps on this extremely rare, $1.3 million watch. Less than 15 of this model are released every year, hence the lofty price tag. It’s a ludicrously complicated watch that employs dactylonomy (the practice of counting on your fingers) to tell the time. Co-created by director Francis Ford Coppola, the hand at the centre of the dial moves its fingers into different positions every hour. In the above picture, for example, the time is 5 o’clock. It’s a massive technical achievement and no doubt a decent investment piece, but ask yourself: is it actually all that pleasing to look at?
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