No Rolex, we’re rich – why billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook wear watches even you can afford

Jul 24 , 2020

Jeff Bezos’ go-to watch is his relatively cheap Ulysse Nardin Dual Time. Photo: AFP

Bill Gates prefers a US$70 Casio Duro, Tim Cook rocks an Apple Watch and Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t wear a watch at all – is a wristwatch a tool to tell the time, a status symbol or a statement of your values?

From Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk to Mark Zuckerberg, tech billionaires and CEOs are not exactly known for their style, or indulging in luxury items like timepieces. Between the late Steve Job’s quartz Seiko watch and black Issey Mikayki turtlenecks to Mark Zuckerberg’s zip-up hoodies, the statement they seem to want to make with their fashion choices is that they just don’t care.

But what good is having billions if you can’t indulge in the occasional extravagant luxury item? Watch lovers will agree that timepieces are as much about style as they a are a wealth statement. We take a look at some of the world’s richest people in tech and discover that they might be more concerned with being on time rather than being on-trend.

Jeff Bezos

The Amazon founder is rarely seen without his “Wall Street bro” vest pretty much all year round. He also seems to be quite loyal when it comes to timepieces. The watch we saw him wear over and over again throughout the year is the Ulysse Nardin Dual Time.

A Ulysse Nardin Dual Time 42mm, similar to Bezo’s, with a leather strap. Photo: Ulysse Nardin

By no means an entry-level timepiece, the Dual Time is a relatively low-key choice for a guy who’s worth US$113 billion, according to Forbes.

Bill Gates

The Microsoft-founder-turned-philanthropist hasn’t thrown his billions, actually US$98 billion to be exact, into acquiring luxury items.