Mark Zuckerberg Is a Watch Guy Now

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Mark Zuckerberg once remarked in a public Q&A: “I feel like I’m not doing my job if I spend any of my energy on things that are silly or frivolous about my life.” The Meta founder’s monotone wardrobe, chockablock with carbon copies of the same jeans and Brunello Cucinelli T-shirt, became one of the founder’s signatures. However, his wardrobe and entire vibe have shifted dramatically over the course of the past year. Now, Zuckerberg’s glow-up is coming for his watch collection.

For a guy who once seemed unconcerned with his sartorial choices, Zuckerberg has long understood how to use style to communicate effectively. The flip-flops and hoodies that were immortalized in The Social Network were powerful markers of the tech industry’s move-fast-and-break-things era. The uniform showed his single-mindedness toward his business. When he had to testify in front of Congress after a massive data-sharing scandal, he finally put on a suit. The New York Times called it his “I’m Sorry Suit.” These days, Zuckerberg seems to be trying to shed his previous robotic style in favor of something more human, even cool. He’s fallen in love with oversized John Elliott tees and a gold chain. He went viral after posting a video of himself wakeboarding in a suit while toting an American flag. These instances prompt uncomfortable questions, like: Is an icon of Silicon Valley’s slob era now…stylish? And what does his new interest in watches have to do with all this?

The moment Zuckerberg caught the watch bug was caught on camera—the Zapruder film of his horological reckoning. In March, a video of Zuck at Indian businessman Anant Ambani’s wedding showed him and his wife, Priscilla Chan, admiring the former’s Richard Mille RM 30-01. “You know, watches…are cool,” Zuckerberg can be heard remarking in the video. I can only imagine that several thousand miles away in the Swiss Jura, Patek Philippe’s entire C-suite suddenly sat straight up in bed, sensing a disturbance in the Force.

Indeed, it wasn’t long before the chronometer-certified prophecy was confirmed. This weekend, Zuck posted an Instagram selfie of himself and Chan showing a new acquisition on the tech mogul’s wrist. A subtle but telling Calatrava cross-signed crown was all eagle-eyed spotters needed. A commenter, recognizing the cross, asked Zuckerberg to identify the Patek Philippe. He quickly and casually responded “5236P.” Posting a selfie as an excuse to talk about your new watch? Oh, he’s in deep.

You might remember this watch—the first Patek QP wristwatch with an in-line calendar display—in blue from Watches & Wonders 2021. Just this year it spawned a salmon-colored variant that otherwise shares the same features: 41.3-mm platinum case, faceted hour indices, a pocket-watch-inspired in-line display with moon phase, and an automatic micro-rotor movement. As the dial was obscured in Zuck’s selfie, it wasn’t clear if he snagged the salmon or navy dial variation, but as watch site Time & Tide pointed out, the brown strap suggests the former.

A perpetual calendar with an in-line display and an in-house micro-rotor automatic movement in platinum? Zuck clearly went for the jugular in beginning his horological journey, and we wholeheartedly approve. The 5236P is one of the maison’s handsomest Grand Complications, with a classic, balanced look and a beautiful caliber beating within. It’s a watch that any self-respecting “watch guy” would be proud to own.

However, the 5236P is a puzzle piece that doesn’t seem to fit seamlessly into Zuck’s broader rebrand. The 5236P is one of the most classic-looking and fine watches you can find in Patek’s catalog. The founder’s new look lands somewhere between frat bro and minimalist streetwear stan. Zuckerberg’s previous aesthetic was meant to convey dedication to “best serv[ing the Facebook] community,” as he explained. His current appearance is intended to make Silicon Valley, which is now shrouded in a dark fog, seem more approachable and friendly. This watch, then, might be the closest signifier of Zuckerberg’s true taste and identity—a really nice and expensive toy for one of the wealthiest people in the world.